"The Dominican team has accumulated a tournament-high 13 home runs in their four games, with five of their players -- Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. -- all hitting a couple. Upon impact, they all flip their bats, yell, gesture toward each other, salute the fans, take their sweet time rounding the bases, then come into a dugout filled with props to continue their celebration."
"Team USA, the favorite to win it all with a deep, star-studded lineup, almost didn't advance to the quarterfinals after a loss to Italy left its fate to be decided by the final matchup between Italy and Mexico. Italy won to go undefeated in pool play -- allowing the U.S. to move on -- while Mexico was eliminated."
"Canada also surprised in the early games, going 3-1 and beating Puerto Rico to win Pool A and advance to its first quarterfinals of the tournament since its inception in 2006."
The 2026 World Baseball Classic pool play concluded with notable upsets and surprises. Team USA, the pre-tournament favorite, nearly failed to advance after losing to Italy but secured a quarterfinal spot when Italy defeated Mexico. Italy finished pool play undefeated, while Mexico was eliminated. Canada exceeded expectations by going 3-1 and winning Pool A, marking its first quarterfinals appearance since the tournament's 2006 inception. The Dominican Republic emerged as the top-ranked team heading into quarterfinals, accumulating a tournament-high 13 home runs across four games with five star players each hitting multiple homers. The Dominican team displayed exceptional energy and celebration throughout pool play, with manager Albert Pujols praising the team's loose, confident demeanor as the best he has experienced in his professional career.
#world-baseball-classic-2026 #pool-play-results #quarterfinal-rankings #tournament-surprises #dominican-republic
Read at ESPN.com
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