The last tournament featured a thrilling championship matchup between Team USA and Japan. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the most unforgettable moments in baseball history, with Japan ultimately taking home the trophy. This year, Team USA will look to exact revenge, and Byron Buxton will be part of that charge.

Byron Buxton on Team USA’s WBC roster

Byron Buxton is coming off the best season of his career. Not only did he stay healthy, but he was also highly productive. With no limitations this offseason, he’ll prepare for the regular season by competing on baseball’s international stage.

Byron Buxton is part of Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, sources told me here at the Winter Meetings.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 8, 2025

Although USA Baseball has not yet made the announcement official, BBWAA writer Francys Romero has reported that Buxton has made the preliminary roster. A cutdown from 35 to the final 30-man roster will take place in February. This will be Buxton’s first time competing in a national event since turning pro, which isn’t surprising given his past injury history.

In 2025 Buxton batted .264/.327/.551 for the Minnesota Twins. His 35 home runs were a career high, and he stole 24 bases without being caught. While he may not be the same elite center fielder at age 31, he still posted three outs above average (OAA) last season.

The Twins have to be ecstatic that Buxton feels healthy and confident enough to compete. At the same time, they’ll be hoping no issues arise from an earlier ramp-up than usual.

During the Winter Meetings, the Twins signaled that they have no plans to trade Buxton or their other stay players and instead look to add to the roster. Whether new minority partners will infuse the franchise with additional cash flow remains to be seen.

Carlos Correa to play for Puerto Rico

It was assumed that Carlos Correa would play a long time with the MN Twins. Instead he wound up being injured and ineffective before being sent back to Houston in a salary dump. Now a third baseman, he is going to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic this spring.

Team Puerto Rico manager Carlos Beltrán said Carlos Correa is on his initial WBC roster: "We're counting on Carlos. I don't see us without Carlos on our roster or on our team."

Beltrán said he "loves" that Correa has moved to third base and he'd play there in the WBC.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 9, 2025

Correa posted just a .267/.319/.386 slash line with the Twins last season. Even a slight bump in production with Houston resulted in just a 103 OPS+. He has dealt with nagging plantar fasciitis issues the past two seasons, and typical aging is part of the equation too.

Now expected to be the Astros Opening Day third baseman, it is somewhat interesting that Houston has greenlit Correa playing in the exhibition series. At any rate, the World Baseball Classic kicks off in March and the former Minnesota Twins infielder will be there.

What to know about the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The opening round will kick off on March 6, 2026. The World Baseball Classic takes place during Spring Training. Major League Baseball looks to avoid regular season disruption. Players will miss time for their big league organizations, although they will return prior to Opening Day. The championship round kicks off on March 15, 2026.

Announcing the pools and schedule for the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic!

The opening round starts March 5, quarterfinals start March 13 and the championship round begins March 15! pic.twitter.com/tT5h848dcs

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) August 21, 2024

Four separate pools are present. Qualifiers will take place to determine the final team included in each. Team USA will headline Pool B. The Americans are grouped with Mexico, Italy, and Great Britain. Japan, who has won three of the previous five tournaments, headlines Pool C.

Trout vs Ohtani lived up to the HYPE! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/Z8aZAjpDRg

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 22, 2023

In 2023 we saw Team USA square off against Japan at loanDepot Park for the championship. The game produced incredible moments, particularly Los Angeles Angels teammates Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani squaring off against one another. The unicorn pitcher punched out the future first ballot Hall of Famer and Japan won 3-2.

Related: MLB Pipeline Names Former Twins Player to All-Time Prospect Lineup

Team USA will be seeking it’s first title since 2018 when they bested Puerto Rico 8-0.

Minnesota Twins will have participants in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

Although each organization would prefer to keep their talent at the respective Spring Training facilities, the Twins will have participants in the next World Baseball Classic. Baseball is an incredibly diverse sport, and different nations are present on every 26-man roster. No Twins played for Team USA in 2023, but seven players competed for other nations.

2026 should see a handful of Twins present on World Baseball Classic rosters. Here is a rundown of the possibilities:

• Edouard Julien (Canada) – Julien should be a lock even if he has scuffled for Minnesota this season. He played for Canada in 2023, and will again be an infield option.
• Christian Vazquez (Puerto Rico) – Vazquez played in 2023. He will be 36 years old in 2026. It’s possible he’s done playing on the global stage, but this will likely be his last shot.
• Carlos Correa (Puerto Rico) – Originally scheduled to play with Puerto Rico in 2023, Correa opted for a more tame leadup to the season. He’ll be there the next time around.
• Jose Miranda (Puerto Rico) – Miranda was on the roster for Puerto Rico but withdrew due to his shoulder injury. He’s been among the Twins best players this season and will represent his country in 2026.
• Jovani Moran (Puerto Rico) – The lefty underwent Tommy John surgery and has missed the 2024 season. He was on the Puerto Rico roster last time around though, and will be just 29 years old.
• Pablo Lopez (Venezuela) – Minnesota’s ace pitched for the Venezuelan team in 2023. There’s no reason he won’t return this time around.
• Jorge Alcala (Dominican Republic) – Alcala, now healthy and effective, could be in line to make his debut. The Twins reliever has put up a great 2024, and could factor in as a leverage arm in 2026.
• Emmanuel Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) – By 2026 E-Rod will have debuted with the Twins. He will be 23 years old and could be among the best young players in the sport. The Dominican Republic outfield is loaded with Julio Rodriguez and Juan Soto. E-Rod displacing Teoscar Hernandez or Eloy Jimenez isn’t crazy.
• Griffin Jax (USA) – The military Captain represents Minnesota’s best shot to represent Team USA. He’s one of the best relievers in baseball.
• Brooks Lee (USA) – The rookie has played for Team USA on his way to the big leagues, but this might be a leap. Lee’s development over the next two years will paint the picture. The Team USA infield did have Tim Anderson in it during 2023 though.

Maybe the most notable omission among players with current Twins connections is top prospect Walker Jenkins. He is a franchise cornerstone talent. Just a few big league games under his belt prior to 2026 may make his inclusion tough. It would be a meteoric rise to see him play for Team USA, but if he did, the stock would be sky high for Minnesota.

Related: What Minnesota Twins Would Join Carlos Correa in the Olympics?

The Olympics will bring back baseball in 2028. Who participates in a global tournament two years later remains to be seen. We’ll have a glimpse of who still has it in Miami.