Which countries are hosting the World Baseball Classic 2023?

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is upon us. The action will kick off on March 8 and last until March 23. The tournament will be the fans’ first glimpse at international baseball since the last World Baseball Classic tournament in 2017. Last year’s scheduled WBC was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament will take place across a variety of venues in Taiwan, Japan and the United States. Fortunately for fans, teams have been placed in time zones that are are consistent with sensible viewing times in their respective countries.

“Dates and Venues Announcement for the 2021 World Baseball Classic!” – World Baseball Classic

The teams set to play are divided into four groups, called “Pools”. Pools A and B will compete in Asia, while Pools C and D are set to face off in the United States.

Team USA are the defending champions. They will be captained by Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and feature a wealth of MLB talent. As part of Pool C, Team USA will begin the tournament at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The other teams in their Pool are Canada, Great Britain, Colombia and Mexico. All will compete in the first round in Arizona.

Pool D will play their matches at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, between March 11 and March 15. Pool D features teams such as Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Israel and Nicaragua. These games will also air exclusively on Fox Sports.

For fans looking to check out the other groups, Asian and European teams are divided into Pools A and B. Pool A will feature teams Taiwan, Netherlands, Italy and Panama and take place in Taichung, Taiwan. Alternatively, Pool B which features Japan, Korea, China, Australia and the Czech Republic. Pools A and B will be played between March 8 and March 13.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic schedule has been announced. The finals will be held in Miami and it’s been expanded to 20 teams. https://t.co/n4EdbshzmS

“The 2023 World Baseball Classic schedule has been announced. The finals will be held in Miami and it’s been expanded to 20 teams.” – JJ Cooper

The teams will then advance to the second round. For Pools A and B, the second round will be played at the Tokyo Dome, home of the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB. Pools C and D will have their second-round matchups in Miami. The semi-finals and finals will all then be played in Miami.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is set to be a truly global affair

Fans will cram into stadiums across the three host nations as they attempt to get their eyes on the MLB stars who will play there. The tournament structure takes advantage of time zones and travel distances to ensure the most efficient way of putting on such a global baseball spectacle.

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