Baseball fans are going to get a bit of an extra treat during spring training this year.
It's coming in the form of the World Baseball Classic, a two-week affair that is entering its fifth iteration in 2023. The United States will try to defend its championship, won in 2017, while two-time winners Japan and the 2013 champion the Dominican Republic will try to reclaim the crown.
The biggest roster highlights come from the USA, Japan, and the Dominican Republic. It's a 20-team field this year, up from the 16 in years past. Pool play will consist of four groups of five.
The World Baseball Classic begins on March 7 in the USA (March 8 locally), and the championship will be played March 21. It's a fast and furious pace all the way throughout, with very few breaks for any teams playing.
MORE: Watch World Baseball Classic games live on fuboTV (free trial)
Here's what to know about the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
When does the 2023 World Baseball Classic start?
The World Baseball Classic will start on March 7 at 11 p.m. ET, with Cuba and the Netherlands playing in Chinese Taipei.
From there, it will be a two-week tournament, with pool play wrapping up on March 15 and the knockout rounds starting on that same day.
Quarterfinals will start March 15 and conclude March 18, semifinals will be March 19 and March 20, and the championship at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, will be played March 21. This year marks the first World Baseball Classic to not wrap on the USA's West Coast.
World Baseball Classic 2023 bracket
Because the World Baseball Classic starts with pools, there isn't a set bracket in a traditional sense.
Once the World Baseball Classic enters the quarterfinal stage, the paths will be linear. Each pool will send two teams -- the top two -- to the quarterfinal round.
MORE: World Baseball Classic 2023: MLB team-by-team roster breakdown
World Baseball Classic 2023 TV schedule
Because games are being played in the United States, Chinese Taipei, and Japan, there will be games being played at all hours.
Here's a look at the full schedule with dates, times, and channels.
Note: All times are United States ET
Pool A (Chinese Taipei)
| Date | Time | Matchup | Channel |
| March 7 | 11 p.m. | Cuba vs. Netherlands | FS1 |
| March 8 | 6 a.m. | Panama vs. Chinese Taipei | FS2 |
| March 8 | 11 p.m. | Panama vs. Netherlands | FS2 |
| March 9 | 6 a.m. | Italy vs. Cuba | Tubi |
| March 9 | 11:30 p.m. | Cuba vs. Panama | FS1 |
| March 10 | 6 a.m. | Italy vs. Chinese Taipei | Tubi |
| March 10 | 11 p.m. | Panama vs. Italy | FS1 |
| March 11 | 6 a.m. | Netherlands vs. Chinese Taipei | FS2 |
| March 11 | 11 p.m. | Chinese Taipei vs. Cuba | FS2 |
| March 12 | 7 a.m. | Netherlands vs. Italy | FS2 |
Pool B (Tokyo)
| Date | Time | Matchup | Channel |
| March 8 | 10 p.m. | Australia vs. South Korea | FS1 |
| March 9 | 5 a.m. | China vs. Japan | FS2 |
| March 9 | 10 p.m. | Czech Republic vs. China | Tubi |
| March 10 | 5 a.m. | Korea vs. Japan | FS2 |
| March 10 | 10 p.m. | China vs. Australia | FS2 |
| March 11 | 5 a.m. | Czech Republic vs. Japan | FS1 |
| March 11 | 10 p.m. | Czech Republic vs. Korea | FS1 |
| March 12 | 6 a.m. | Japan vs. Australia | FS1 |
| March 12 | 11 p.m. | Australia vs. Czech Republic | FS2 |
| March 13 | 6 a.m. | Korea vs. China | FS2 |
Pool C (Phoenix)
| Date | Time | Matchup | Channel |
| March 11 | 2:30 p.m. | Colombia vs. Mexico | Fox |
| March 11 | 10 p.m. | Great Britain vs. USA | Fox |
| March 12 | 3 p.m. | Great Britain vs. Canada | FS1 |
| March 12 | 10 p.m. | Mexico vs. USA | FS1 |
| March 13 | 3 p.m. | Colombia vs. Great Britain | FS2 |
| March 13 | 10 p.m. | Canada vs. USA | FS1 |
| March 14 | 3 p.m. | Canada vs. Colombia | FS2 |
| March 14 | 10 p.m. | Great Britain vs. Mexico | FS1 |
| March 15 | 3 p.m. | Mexico vs. Canada | FS2 |
| March 15 | 10 p.m. | USA vs. Colombia | FS1 |
Pool D (Miami)
| Date | Time | Matchup | Channel |
| March 11 | 12 p.m. | Nicaragua vs. Puerto Rico | FS2 |
| March 11 | 7 p.m. | Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela | FS1 |
| March 12 | 12 p.m. | Nicaragua vs. Israel | FS2 |
| March 12 | 7 p.m. | Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico | FS1 |
| March 13 | 12 p.m. | Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua | FS2 |
| March 13 | 7 p.m. | Israel vs. Puerto Rico | FS1 |
| March 14 | 12 p.m. | Nicaragua vs. Venezuela | FS2 |
| March 14 | 7 p.m. | Israel vs. Dominican Republic | FS2 |
| March 15 | 12 p.m. | Venezuela vs. Israel | FS2 |
| March 15 | 7 p.m. | Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic | FS2 |
MORE: 2023 World Baseball Classic: 10 pitcher-hitter matchups we can't wait to see
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time | Site | Matchup | Channel |
| March 15 | 6 a.m. | Tokyo | Pool B runner-up vs. Pool A winner | FS2 |
| March 16 | 6 a.m. | Tokyo | Pool A runner-up vs. Pool B winner | FS2 |
| March 17 | 7 p.m. | Miami | Pool C runner-up vs. Pool D winner | FS1 |
| March 18 | 7 p.m. | Miami | Pool D runner-up vs. Pool C winner | Fox |
Semifinals
| Date | Time | Venue | Matchup | Channel |
| March 19 | 7 p.m. | Miami | Quarterfinal 1 winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 winner | FS1 |
| March 20 | 7 p.m. | Miami | Quarterfinal 2 winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner | FS1 |
Championship
| Date | Time | Venue | Matchup | Channel |
| March 21 | 7 p.m. | Miami | Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner | FS1 |
