Major League Baseball has revealed the Designated Pitcher Pools for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, listing potential call-up arms for national teams. Each federation can name up to six pitchers for substitutions after the initial rounds. Notable inclusions feature aces like Luis Castillo of the Dominican Republic and Jesús Luzardo of Venezuela.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters were finalized last week with 30-man squads for each participating nation, leaving one key element ahead of the tournament's March 4 opening: the Designated Pitcher Pools (DPP). These pools allow federations to designate up to six pitchers as reserves, enabling teams to replace up to four arms after the first round and two more after the quarterfinals. The substitutes can fill spots previously marked for potential changes.
Prominent pitchers in the DPP include Dominican Republic's Luis Castillo, a Seattle Mariners starter who posted a 3.54 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 180.2 innings over 32 starts last season. Castillo, entering his 10th major league year after debuting with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017 and joining Seattle via trade in 2022, withdrew from the 2023 WBC following a contract extension. He is joined by Venezuela's Jesús Luzardo and Puerto Rico's José Berríos, a veteran national team member, along with reliever Alexis Díaz, brother of closer Edwin Díaz.
Other highlights feature Japan's Tatsuya Imai, a new Houston Astros starter who chose spring training over WBC prep but remains available if Japan advances to Miami; Australia's Liam Hendriks; Italy's Jonah Dipoto, son of Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto; and Netherlands brothers Connor and Scott Prins. Full lists cover nations including Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Great Britain, Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States.
The tournament runs March 5-17, with quarterfinals starting March 13—the earliest point for DPP activations. The Seattle Mariners boast 16 players across 12 countries, though their starting rotation of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Castillo, and Bryce Miller initially had none committed, partly due to prior injuries except for Castillo.
