How good it is to see some baseball again, especially with meaningful games at this time of year. This is what the World Classic allows, unlike games in the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League in Arizona. This is a pleasant transition as the year 2025 concluded, it should be remembered, with an extraordinary World Series lost by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Also read: A great showcase for Quebec players, including Édouard Julien
• Also read: Another final between Japan and the United States? Not so fast…
• Also read: Canada has a date with history
Here are five reasons to be particularly excited about this World Baseball Classic:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
There is a lot of talk about the powerful American team as well as Shohei Ohtani and Japan, and rightly so. Now, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will do with the Dominican Republic, who is making his first appearance in the World Classic. In Group D, the Dominicans will first face, in order, Nicaragua, the Netherlands, Israel and Venezuela, starting Friday, in the group stage.
New stage for Canada?
The Canadian baseball team hopes to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time. To achieve this, Quebecers Édouard Julien, Otto Lopez and Abraham Toro will all have the opportunity to regularly contribute to the club’s success since they are among the regular players in the infield. First meeting: Saturday, from 11 a.m., against Colombia. Already a match that Canada cannot afford to escape since only two of the five teams, per group, advance to the next round.
Tyler O’Neill, at bat, during Canada’s preseason game against the Blue Jays, March 3, 2026, in Dunedin. Photo Julio Aguilar / Getty Images via AFP
Miguel Cienfuegos
In addition to the Quebecers who are part of the Canadian team, I have a weakness for pitcher Miguel Cienfuegos. The young man from Laval is present with the national team of Panama. During his team’s preseason games, Cienfuegos pitched two excellent innings against the New York Yankees on Tuesday in Tampa at George M. Steinbrenner Field. My wish: to see the former Quebec Capitals take the mound, Sunday evening, against Canada.
Miguel Cienfuegos, when he wore the colors of the Capitales de Québec, in 2022. Photo Marc DesRosiers / QMI Agency / Archives
My favorite hope
Among Canada’s pitching staff, there is this young Quebecer named Antoine Jean. I feel a particular attachment to the 24-year-old left-hander. His journey has been strewn with pitfalls, including a nasty injury requiring Tommy John surgery in 2023. The former University of Alabama Crimson Tide and University of Houston Cougars had to demonstrate perseverance before being drafted in the seventh round, against all odds, by the Colorado Rockies last July. In the preparatory game against the Blue Jays on Tuesday in Dunedin, Jean worked for an inning without giving up a single hit.
Antoine Jean, in the University of Alabama Crimson Tide uniform, in 2022. PHOTO COURTOISIE / Alabama Athletics Photography
Players to discover
Even the smallest World Classic game can allow the most ardent baseball fans to discover different players. An example was given at the opening of the tournament, Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome, in a 3-0 victory for Australia against Taiwan. Australian starter Alex Wells, who briefly played with the Baltimore Orioles, pitched three scoreless innings before being handed over to the bullpen. Travis Bazzana, who was the first overall pick in the 2024 major baseball draft, contributed to the attack, including a solo home run at the bottom of the seventh inning. While we might never see Wells again, Bazzana could soon settle down with the Cleveland Guardians.
Travis Bazzana is congratulated by teammate Curtis Mead after hitting a home run in the seventh inning in Australia’s victory over Taiwan on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Tokyo Dome. Photo Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP
