The World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) announced this Thursday the dates, stadiums and pools for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The fifth edition of the Clásico, which was supposed to take place in 2021, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now take place from March 9 to 21, 2023, and will take place at the Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung, in Taiwan; the Tokyo Dome in Japan; Chase Field, the stadium of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in Phoenix; and the loanDepot Park, the stadium of the Miami Marlins, in Florida.
In 2023, the number of teams will expand to 20 for the first time in tournament history. The 16 teams that participated in the 2017 Classic are invited to play in 2023, as well as the four teams that have made it through the 2022 qualifying stage, which will take place at the Armin-Wolf-Arena in Regensburg, Germany, from September 16 to 21, and at the Rod Carew National Stadium in Panama City, Panama, from September 30 to October 5.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) will feature groups of five teams during the first round in round robin format. The top two teams from each of the four first-round groups will advance to the quarterfinals, while the top two teams from each quarterfinal will advance to the Championship Round.
From March 9-13, Taichung will host Group A, made up of teams from Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Italy, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and a winner of the 2022 World Baseball Classic qualifying stage. This is the second time Taiwan will host the WBC (Taichung’s Intercontinental Baseball Stadium also hosted in 2013).
The Tokyo Dome, which was a group venue in each of the previous four World Baseball Classics (2006, 2009, 2013 and 2017), will be a group venue again for first-round (Group B) and quarterfinal matches in 2023. Group B, made up of Japan, Korea, China, Australia and a winner of the 2022 qualifying stage, will play from March 9-13. The quarterfinals on March 15 and 16 will be played by the top two teams from Group B along with the two teams from Group A, based in Taiwan, who have advanced.
Chase Field will host the World Baseball Classic again in 2023 after hosting the first round in 2006 and 2013. Group C games, to be played March 11-15, will include the reigning Classic champion World Baseball, United States, and Canada, Mexico, Colombia and a winner of the qualifying stage.
Here is a summary of the 4 tournament groups
GROUP A (8-13 March)
Venue: Taichung, Taiwan (Intercontinental Baseball Stadium)
Chinese Taipei
Cuba
Italy
Netherlands
TBD (2022 WBC qualifier winner)
GROUP B (9-13 March)
Venue: Tokyo (Tokyo Dome)
Japan
Korea
China
Australia
TBD (2022 WBC qualifier winner)
GROUP C (March 11-15)
Venue: Phoenix (Chase Field)
United States
Canada
Mexico
Colombia
TBD (2022 WBC qualifier winner)
GROUP D (March 11-15)
Headquarters: Miami (loanDepot park)
Puerto Rico
Venezuela
Israel
Dominican Republic
TBD (2022 WBC qualifier winner)
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, which will be played at the Tokyo Dome and loanDepot park.
After that, the semi-finals and finals will be played at the loanDepot park from March 19-21.
QUARTER FINALS
Venue 1: Tokyo (Tokyo Dome)
When: March 15-16
Teams: First 2 teams from Group A and B
Location 2: Miami (loanDepot park)
When: March 17-18
Teams: First 2 teams from Group C and D
SEMIFINALS AND FINAL
Headquarters: Miami (loanDepot park)
When: March 19-21
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Official: The World Baseball Classic returns in 2023