# WBC Game Previews — March 9, 2026 > World Baseball Classic game previews for March 9, 2026. 7 games today with pitcher matchups, key batters, and tournament context. All stats from MLB careers. **Date:** 2026-03-09 **Author:** HeatCheck HQ **Tags:** WBC, World Baseball Classic, MLB, Daily Previews, Baseball **Full article:** https://heatcheckhq.io/blog/wbc-preview-mar-9-2026 **Live picks & dashboards:** https://heatcheckhq.io --- # WBC Game Previews — March 9, 2026 7 games across the World Baseball Classic today. Here's every matchup. Today's action: Pool B, Pool C, Pool A, Pool D. Each matchup includes pitcher profiles, key batters, and tournament context. Where available, stats reflect MLB careers — Baseball Savant does not track Statcast data for WBC games. > **Live schedule:** [WBC Dashboard](/mlb/wbc) — updated with game times and probable pitchers. > **Yesterday's WBC preview:** [WBC Previews](/blog/wbc-preview-mar-8-2026) ## Mexico vs United States — Pool B — Daikin Park **8:00 PM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Manny Barreda** (RHP) — Mexico - **Paul Skenes** (RHP) — United States, ERA: 1.97, K/9: 10.4, WHIP: 0.95, IP: 187.2 *Pitcher stats reflect MLB career data, not WBC performance.* ### Analysis Mexico faces United States in pool play at Daikin Park. Paul Skenes (1.97 career ERA) starts for United States. Mexico's pitcher is TBD. Without deep MLB connections in either lineup, this game will come down to pitching discipline, defense, and which team handles the pressure of the tournament stage. Paul Skenes is a high-strikeout arm — 10.4 K/9 across his MLB career. ## Korea vs Australia — Pool C — Tokyo Dome **6:00 AM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Ju Young Son** (RHP) — Korea - **Lachlan Wells** (RHP) — Australia *No MLB career stats available for these pitchers.* ### Analysis Korea and Australia meet in pool play at Tokyo Dome — both teams looking to build early momentum. Ju Young Son gets the ball for Korea against Lachlan Wells for Australia. Neither has extensive MLB track record, so this one comes down to international experience and scouting. This is a matchup between two rosters built primarily from international leagues rather than MLB pipelines — expect the unfamiliar names to make it a harder game to project. ## Colombia vs Panama — Pool A — Hiram Bithorn Stadium **12:00 PM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Adrian Almeida** (RHP) — Colombia - **Paolo Espino** (RHP) — Panama *No MLB career stats available for these pitchers.* ### Analysis Colombia and Panama meet in pool play at Hiram Bithorn Stadium — both teams looking to build early momentum. Adrian Almeida gets the ball for Colombia against Paolo Espino for Panama. Neither has extensive MLB track record, so this one comes down to international experience and scouting. This is a matchup between two rosters built primarily from international leagues rather than MLB pipelines — expect the unfamiliar names to make it a harder game to project. ## Brazil vs Great Britain — Pool B — Daikin Park **1:00 PM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Enzo Sawayama** (RHP) — Brazil - **Brendan Beck** (RHP) — Great Britain *No MLB career stats available for these pitchers.* ### Analysis Brazil and Great Britain meet in pool play at Daikin Park — both teams looking to build early momentum. Enzo Sawayama gets the ball for Brazil against Brendan Beck for Great Britain. Neither has extensive MLB track record, so this one comes down to international experience and scouting. This is a matchup between two rosters built primarily from international leagues rather than MLB pipelines — expect the unfamiliar names to make it a harder game to project. ## Cuba vs Puerto Rico — Pool A — Hiram Bithorn Stadium **7:00 PM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Julio Robaina** (RHP) — Cuba - **Elmer Rodríguez** (RHP) — Puerto Rico *No MLB career stats available for these pitchers.* ### Analysis Pool play continues with Cuba vs Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Julio Robaina faces Elmer Rodríguez in a matchup between two arms without deep MLB resumes. Expect the game to hinge on team depth and situational execution. Neither roster has significant MLB experience in the lineup, so this game will be driven by international league talent and team cohesion. ## Dominican Republic vs Israel — Pool D — loanDepot park **12:00 PM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Brayan Bello** (RHP) — Dominican Republic, ERA: 3.35, K/9: 6.7, WHIP: 1.24, IP: 166.2 - **Ryan Prager** (RHP) — Israel *Pitcher stats reflect MLB career data, not WBC performance.* ### Analysis Dominican Republic faces Israel in pool play at loanDepot park. Brayan Bello (3.35 career ERA) takes the mound for Dominican Republic. Israel's starter is TBD. Without deep MLB connections in either lineup, this game will come down to pitching discipline, defense, and which team handles the pressure of the tournament stage. ## Venezuela vs Nicaragua — Pool D — loanDepot park **7:00 PM ET** ### Pitcher Matchup - **Yoendrys Gómez** (RHP) — Venezuela, ERA: 5.17, K/9: 8.4, WHIP: 1.39, IP: 62.2 - **Danilo Bermudez** (RHP) — Nicaragua *Pitcher stats reflect MLB career data, not WBC performance.* ### Analysis Pool play continues with Venezuela vs Nicaragua at loanDepot park. Yoendrys Gómez (5.17 career ERA) takes the mound for Venezuela. Nicaragua's starter is TBD. Neither roster has significant MLB experience in the lineup, so this game will be driven by international league talent and team cohesion. ## Scoring Methodology Each game is scored across six factors — pitcher ERA, K/9, WHIP, team batting strength, platoon context, and tournament stakes — using MLB career stats. No Statcast data exists for WBC games. Full scoring details on the [WBC Dashboard](/mlb/wbc). **More from HeatCheck HQ:** - [WBC Dashboard](/mlb/wbc) — live schedule and game previews - [NRFI Picks](/blog/mlb-nrfi-picks-mar-9-2026) — today's best NRFI bets - [Dinger of the Day](/blog/mlb-dinger-of-the-day-mar-9-2026) — today's best HR picks - [MLB Pitching Stats](/mlb/pitching-stats) — full MLB pitcher leaderboards *Previews update as probable pitchers are confirmed. Full schedule at [heatcheckhq.io](https://heatcheckhq.io).* ## Related Resources - Parent hub: [MLB Props Hub](/blog/topic/mlb-props) - Daily stream: [WBC Daily Previews](/blog/stream/wbc-preview) - Author: [HeatCheck HQ](/blog/author/heatcheck-hq) - Browse all posts: [Sports Betting Insights & Guides](/blog) --- *Data powered by HeatCheck HQ — sports analytics platform. Free tools at https://heatcheckhq.io*