beyond the back page Can this World Baseball Classic capture the magic of the Olympics? By Bridget Reilly Published March 3, 2026, 7:40 a.m. ET Team USA captain Aaron Judge talks with photographer Ken Griffey Jr. (he also played a bit of ball) during a workout in Phoenix on March 2, 2026. Getty Images Just in time for one global sports event ending, another is about to grace sports fans’ televisions.
Following the captivating Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the World Baseball Classic is set to begin on March 4 and run for two weeks.
The question is: Can the international baseball tournament get American fans as enthralled as the Olympics have over personable young figure skaters, viral gold medal moments and two incredibly successful hockey teams?
The stars of the Olympics — think: Mikaela Shiffrin or Katie Ledecky — flash across our consciousness every four years.
