Canada is crashing the Classic with history making on its mind

This World Baseball Classic is different for Team Canada.

The days of a roster filled with Minor Leaguers and MLB bench players are gone. The times with All-Star studded clubs such as Team USA and Team Mexico dominating Canada’s group stage are no more. Instead of reaching out to players about joining, Team Canada is now having to turn down Major League talent.

It’s a different time for baseball in Canada as a whole – the sport only surging in popularity even more following the Blue Jays’ dramatic run to Game 7 of the World Series which brought in record viewing numbers inside the country – and the players from Canada are ready to prove the talent pool has risen to a level ready to compete with the favorites of the tournament.

Twenty years ago in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, 16 of the 30 players rostered by Canada were either in the Minor Leagues, playing independent ball or had retired prior to the tournament. Close to a dozen more rarely had regular playing time in the big leagues. Skip ahead to 2026, and 22 of the 28 players with Team Canada are on MLB rosters -- most not only starters but a few with All-Star nods.

It’s a drastic change in such a short period of time, but it testament to the work Canadian players have put in to be here to stay moving forward.

“I think it shows that Canadian baseball is definitely trending in the right direction,” said Bo Naylor, who along with his brother Josh, have been playing with Canada since the Junior National Team events. “We got a lot of guys who are here for the right reasons and are at really good stages in their careers. Obviously we hope that it [provides] a good example for Canadian baseball players that there is a future in this game.

“Being someone who grew up watching those tournaments, right, definitely gave me something to look forward to. And now that I can say that I’m at that point and trying to represent myself in the right way, it just makes me really excited for everything moving forward personally, but also for the country. Baseball is growing everywhere, especially in Canada, and to be a small part of that is super humbling.”

On paper, it’s the most talented bunch in Team Canada history even without nine-time All-Star Freddie Freeman, who turned down participating in this year’s event due to personal reasons. Along with Bo and Josh Naylor, MLB regulars or rising stars such as outfielders Tyler O’Neill, Owen Caissie and Denzel Clarke, infielders Otto Lopez, Abraham Toro, Edouard Julien and pitchers Jameson Taillon, James Paxton, Cal Quantrill, Michael Soroka, Matt Brash and Logan Allen round out a roster that will be able to match Major Leaguer with Major Leaguer when facing the best of the best.

In turn, that’s provided a lot of confidence. But one thing still remains: winning.

Canada has appeared in every World Baseball Classic since its inception in 2006, but it has failed to make it out of pool play even once. Team USA and Team Mexico were the main culprits to that fact, but the 2026 WBC has Canada not only playing its group stage games in a new location (Puerto Rico) but also against fresh faces in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama and Columbia.

“I have never played there, I have never even been to Puerto Rico, so it’s going to be pretty cool,” said Caissie, who broke out in the 2023 WBC to solidify his prospect status before making his MLB debut in 2025. “We played against Panama last time, but I’ve never played against Cuba, Panama or Puerto Rico, so it’s going to be a good time, good competition.

“I think the goal is to always advance and win, but I think this year we have a really good shot based on the pool, but you never know what is going to happen. It just shows that we always have a shot and we’re never out of it. But we do have a strong chance to advance this year and we are all pumped for it.”

For a country not known globally for its ability to develop baseball players -- hockey still runs away with that distinction -- advancing to the knockout round for the first time would be an indicator that Canada’s hard work to build up its baseball infrastructure is working.

“ … All these countries are so far ahead, but you can see Canada slowly catching up,” Caissie said. “Facilities are getting better, training is getting better, exposure to young kids is getting better. Canada is learning at a faster pace than they were.”

Not only that, but more and more Major Leagues are wanting to play for Team Canada. As the talent grows, and the prestige of playing in the World Baseball Classic only heightens, the desire to play for your country has only attracted more of the world's best to the tournament.

“It’s a prestigious thing to play in and I think guys are realizing that," Caissie said. "It’s not only a great event to play in, but it gets you ready for the season. The last time I did it, I couldn’t stop raving to my buddies about it like, ‘Hey, if you ever get the chance -- do it. Because you’ll never feel more proud in your life and be more ready for the season.'”

This year's squad is ready to make Canada proud, whether is makes its own WBC history or not. Advancing to the quarterfinals is the goal, but no matter how Team Canada performs, the impact this tournament can have on those back home isn't lost on the players.

“Being able to represent your country is always going to be special, especially because it doesn’t come around every year. We wait for those moments,” Naylor said. “It makes every moment special, and being able to do it with the same guys that are all there with the same goal -- which is representing [Canada] and trying to do something with your country on your chest is all really special.”

“You know, Canadians in any sport, I think that we have definitely adopted the identity that we're going to fight no matter what it is. We're going to play hard. We're going to play our hearts out for Canada and just ultimately go out there and try to compete. And I think with the right guys, that type of mentality, it's just a recipe for success.”