Betts: Canada’s goal to advance out of WBC first round for first time

Canada has a strong roster at this year’s World Baseball Classic and for the first time at the event, their pool does not include the U.S. Photo: Baseball Canada

March 2, 2026

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Team Canada has given fans plenty of memorable moments at the World Baseball Classic.

In the inaugural tournament in 2006, outfielder Adam Stern (London, Ont.) hit an inside-the-park home run to put Canada up 8-0 in the fifth inning en route to an 8-6 victory.

Three years later in 2009, right-hander Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam by striking out David Wright, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson on home soil at Rogers Centre. Sure, Canada may have lost the game 6-5, but it’s a moment that won’t be forgotten for those who were there to witness it.

And who could forget the brawl against Mexico in 2013, a game the Canadians won 10-3, that even the likes of enforcer Dave Semenko would appreciate.

But one thing Canada has never done? Escape the first round of the tournament.

Now, it hasn’t been easy, as the Canucks have routinely been pinned in a group with the United State, along with one of Mexico, Venezuela or the Dominican Republic.

Nonetheless, the country’s yearned for more from its national team on the biggest stage.

When the groups dropped this time around, even the casual Canadian fan likely turned their head. No US, Mexico, Venezuela or Dominican Republic.

Instead, Canada drew host Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba and Panama. Add in the fact Puerto Rico is missing stars Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa due to insurance issues and Javy Baéz because of a failed marijuana test in 2023, and it looks all the more appealing.

On a recent Canadian Baseball Network podcast, Director of Men’s National Teams Greg Hamilton (Ottawa,Ont.) said he considers it likely the most balanced pool in the tournament. Even so, it’s impossible to ignore this might be Canada’s best chance to advance to the quarterfinals.

The lineup is littered with big leaguers. The Naylor brothers, Josh and Bo (Mississauga, Ont.), Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC), Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) and Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) to name a few.

The team should score.

The top of the pitching staff also has its share of major league talent, including Jamieson Taillon, Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) and the recently retired James Paxton (Ladner, BC).

Hamilton will certainly miss the likes of Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC), Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) and Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) in his bullpen, but such is life in a tournament of this kind, at this time of the year.

A balanced, yet winnable pool, and a roster that rolls out big leaguer after big leaguer, and the expectations should be high.

“For us, on this one, not to disrespect anyone in there because they can beat us on any given day, but we feel we can beat anyone on a given day,” Hamilton said on the CBN podcast.

“In the international game we’ve had some wonderful accomplishments in our program. This is the one we haven’t been able to solve. We haven’t got out of the first round in the tournament and move on. That’s the goal and we haven’t been able to do it so far. So yes, the expectations are high.”

Canada opens the tournament on Saturday, March 7 against Colombia before taking on Panama, Puerto Rico and Cuba to close out the round robin.

Now all that’s left is to play the games.