WBC Update: Team USA flexes its muscles behind Judge & Harper, Japan & Dominican Republic impressive this weekend

So far in the 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic, the teams that we have come to expect positive results from are holding up their end of the bargain. With Team USA, Japan and the Dominican Republic all proving to be who we thought they were, pool play has seemed like just a tune-up for these powerhouses. On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman break down all the action from the WBC this past weekend, which saw the United States handle Great Britain and Brazil with the help of the superstar friendship duo of team captain Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper. While the USA squad might not look like they’re having as much fun as other teams on the field, their businesslike approach appears to keep them in the mindset of winning gold or bust for this tournament. Later, Jake and Jordan recap the other pool play from the tourney, which includes Masataka Yoshida returning to the form for Team Japan that made him such a coveted bat by the Boston Red Sox when he first came to the States. They then get into the incredible first-ever walk-off wins in the tournament that saw an emotional Puerto Rico crowd celebrate their home victory against Panama. 1:29 - The Opener: Team USA’s impressive weekend 17:57 - The importance of the WBC 27:14 - Judge & Harper friendship 35:25 - Korea advances in thriller 45:26 - Japan in cruise control 50:11 - Turbo Mode: All the action from the tourney Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on your favorite podcast app:🎧 Apple Podcasts🎧 Spotify🖥️ YouTube📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tvAnd check out Jake, Jordan & the show on X or Instagram:🌤️ @CespedesBBQ: https://bsky.app/profile/cespedesbbq.bsky.social🐦 @CespedesBBQ: https://x.com/CespedesBBQ📷 @CespedesBBQ: https://www.instagram.com/cespedesbbq⚾ @Jake_Mintz: https://x.com/Jake_Mintz🧢 @J_Shusterman: https://x.com/j_shusterman_