NEW YORK, NY: Major League Baseball announced that the 2026 World Baseball Classic host cities have been announced. The Tokyo Dome in Japan and IoanDepot Park in Miami were the two cities returning, as fans saw in 2023.
To complete the four sites, Houston's Minute Maid Park will host for the first time, and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will make its first appearance since 2013.
Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane had some words regarding Houston’s involvement in the 2026 World Baseball Classic..
"We are excited and honored to be hosting World Baseball Classic matchups for the first time,"
"Houston is a global city with the best baseball fans, and we are proud to welcome fans from across the globe to watch international competition at Minute Maid Park."
The top four teams from each of the four pools in the 2023 tournament have already qualified for the WBC, with the remaining four teams to be chosen in the qualifying stages in 2025.
The first-round pools will be divided among the four host venues after teams have been selected. In the 2023 tournament, Samurai Japan won their third gold medal, with the United States coming in second and Mexico in third.
The World Baseball Classic was a huge success throughout the years and with this announcement, gives fans yet another reason to get ready for the tournament. The World Baseball Classic has proven time and time again that the tournament is a great way to grow the game, nobody sees that slowing down anytime soon.
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