World Baseball Classic: Mexico and Great Britain to start things off for Pool B

[p]Both teams faced each other for the first time during the 2023 WBC, the same year that marked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/great-britain/2iGVi47K/"]Great Britain[/a]'s first-ever appearance in the tournament. [/p][p]However, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/ptt8Lj5l/"]Mexico[/a] came away as the winners by a close score of 2-1. Now it's time to see if Great Britain can come out on top this year. So let's check out how they stack up in this year's matchup. [/p][p]They will be the first game in a Pool B that also includes the United States, Brazil, and Italy.[/p][embed guid="0f6a67b5-0f6f-4a77-a7d7-f93f3ff92bf0" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyU34IKqVPc" social-type="youtube" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-australia-and-chinese-taipei-ready-to-start-with-a-bang/f56jhFNM/"]Australia vs Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-cuba-and-panama-game-preview/vB99TJFL/"]Cuba vs. Panama preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-czech-minnows-face-tough-test-against-south-korea/hMPQIRCN/"]Czech Republic vs. South Korea preview[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-netherlands-look-to-upset-juggernaut-venezuela/KjWICnPa/"]Netherland vs. Venezuela preview[/a][/b][/p][h2]Mexico[/h2][p]Mexico advanced to the semi-finals in 2023 and ended up finishing in third place. This year, they'll be seeing 18 new faces on their 30-man roster, some of whom are established players in the MLB. [/p][p]Of those 18 new players, 11 of them are pitchers - including [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seattle-mariners/txYPhSac/"]Seattle Mariners[/a]' stud closer Andres Munoz (27). [/p][p]Munoz finished the 2025 season third in saves (38) among all pitchers. He earned his second-straight All-Star selection and finished the year with a stellar 1.73 ERA, recording 83 strikeouts in 62.1 innings, giving up just 36 hits. [/p][p]He'll be coming out of the pen with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colorado-rockies/naYhNOaA/"]Colorado Rockies[/a] reliever [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vodnik-victor/z9XBd7XI/"]Victor Vodnik[/a], a power-thrower coming off a 2025 season with a 3.02 ERA and 49 strikeouts through 50.2 innings. [/p][embed guid="9c848dbf-e6f8-4f51-b100-e5a20915b0b6" url="https://x.com/MLB/status/1974676575665934730?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-cubs/j7ZnBQFi/"]Chicago Cubs[/a]' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/assad-javier/zcaA44Zf/"]Javier Assad[/a] will lead the starting rotation with veteran MLB All-Star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/walker-taijuan/Wn6SPoaF/"]Taijuan Walker[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-phillies-future/lYDAD2Rj/"]Philadelphia Phillies[/a]), who was on the team in 2023. Assad, 28, missed most of the 2025 season with an oblique strain, finishing with a 3.65 ERA and 23 strikeouts through 37 innings in eight games (seven starts). [/p][p]As for Walker, 33, he finished last season with just 86 strikeouts in 123.2 innings, while giving up 56 earned runs on 132 hits and 42 walks (4.08 ERA). So Mexico will be looking to their bats for help this year. [/p][embed guid="69803e7d-d118-4389-8d8e-e84da5342de7" url="https://x.com/PhilsTailgate/status/2028939054851482077?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-blue-jays/zcDLaZ3b/"]Toronto Blue Jays[/a] two-time All-Star catcher will be making his WBC debut. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kirk-alejandro/8ApqJBel/"]Kirk[/a], 27, set career highs in 2025 for the Jays with 15 home runs and 76 RBI, along with a great .282 batting average - making him one of the best hitting catchers in the league. [/p][p]Another notable new face for Mexico's infield is Joey Ortiz ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-brewers/CGzqC60o/"]Milwaukee Brewers[/a]). Ortiz, 27, had a down year for the Brew Crew, hitting .230 with just seven home runs, but he gives Mexico some speed on the basepaths after he stole 14 bases. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gonzales-nick/GC0pMfWn/"]Nick Gonzales[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-pirates/tr9K2SqG/"]Pittsburgh Pirates[/a]) will also be a new face in the infield. The former No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft will be giving Mexico a solid contact bat after he's coming off a season where he hit a solid .260 in 96 games. [/p][embed guid="ec7d2edb-8012-444e-bff1-432bdae66a22" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OxqqxtJpvQ" social-type="youtube" /][p]But Mexico's big name comes in the outfield with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arozarena-randy/byggI2vK/"]Randy Arozarena[/a] (Seattle Mariners). The two-time All-Star and 2020 American League Championship Series MVP put up a career-high 27 home runs last year, paired with 76 RBI and 31 stolen bases - two short of a single-season best. [/p][p]The 30-year-old veteran will be the core of Mexico's lineup.[/p][p]They'll need him to be the best bat they expect him to be if they want a chance, even against an underdog such as Great Britain. [/p][embed guid="fe3fdacb-ea6c-47ac-b290-349a333a5a15" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t97g-iqDFpw&pp=ygUTcmFuZHkgYXJvemFyZW5hIG1sYg%3D%3D" social-type="youtube" /][h2]Great Britain[/h2][p]In just their second WBC appearance, Great Britain will see 13 players returning from 2023 with 17 new faces, including a prominent MLB player. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-yankees/SrC4LDIT/"]New York Yankees[/a] star second baseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chisholm-jazz/pGqQ2cQJ/"]Jazz Chisholm Jr[/a]., 28, will be leading the way for Great Britain this year. [/p][p]The two-time All-Star earned his first Silver Slugger Award this past season after putting up a career-high in both home runs (31) and RBI (80). He'll be providing the Brits with speed on the basepaths as well, coming off back-to-back seasons where he stole at least 30 bases. [/p][embed guid="78746aa3-df4c-4134-af4c-db000bb73197" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20XRU_K3WF4&pp=ygURSmF6eiBDaGlzaG9sbSBtbGI%3D" social-type="youtube" /][p]He'll be put in the middle of the lineup along with catcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ford-harry/ObwtYEmA/"]Harry Ford[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-nationals/CE026gRp/"]Washington Nationals[/a]), who hit two home runs in the 2023 WBC and batted .308. [/p][p]Ford, 23, is ranked as Major League Baseball's No. 71 prospect, No. 9 catcher, who hit 16 home runs and 74 RBI with a great .283 batting average in Triple-A last season. And even though his stolen base numbers dipped dramatically in 2025, he still had 35 in 2024. [/p][embed guid="0f62b62b-1f04-42dc-a083-b3cb42b656b6" url="https://x.com/MLB/status/1972122803915968795?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The speed doesn't stop there for Great Britain. Outfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-kristian/OIeAHtdJ/"]Kristian Robinson[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arizona-diamondbacks/8bP2bXmH/"]Arizona Diamondbacks[/a]) is also another standout prospect in the minor leagues. [/p][p]Robinson, 25, not only put up a career-best 17 home runs and 60 RBI with a .254 batting average in Triple-A last season, but he also stole a career high 34 bases. This will be his WBC debut as well. [/p][p]If Great Britain plays small ball, these three can be extremely disruptive for Mexico.[/p][embed guid="9da58e3d-6d78-465b-8abb-394b527a3c46" url="https://x.com/MLB/status/1906138748087050581?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]On to pitchers, the Beck Brothers ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beck-brendan/b9HNGBGL/"]Brendan[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beck-tristan/xzss919o/"]Tristan[/a]) will be a nice boost to their pitching compared to 2023.[/p][p]Tristan, 29, spent 19 games at Triple-A in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-francisco-giants/bRZ9b6xj/"]San Francisco Giants[/a] system, where he tossed a great 2.59 ERA in 19 games as a relief pitcher with 38 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. After being called up to the majors for his third season, Tristan tossed a less-than-favourable 4.61 ERA for the Giants, recording more hits given up (47) than strikeouts (41). [/p][p]He started one game in 2025 for the Giants, where he gave up three runs on five hits in 3.0 innings.[/p][embed guid="362532a6-0fac-4b26-9b21-c1c62c70d8d2" url="https://x.com/SFGiantsLiveHQ/status/2028653051406614543?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Brendan, 27, had a solid year in the New York Yankees' minor league system, finishing with a combined 3.36 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 131.1 innings of work in 26 games (24 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A. [/p][p]Great Britain doesn't have the star power that most teams in this tournament do, but upsets always happen. All it takes is for a few guys to get hot to get the ball rolling.[/p][p]Can Chisholm lead Great Britain to the next round? Who knows, but anything is possible.[/p][embed guid="e93c7562-7928-47dd-84d3-41a61823233a" url="https://x.com/swbrailriders/status/1936871901864796604?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]