Pool play concluded with surprises as Team USA needed Italy's victory over Mexico to advance. Dominican Republic leads ESPN's rankings with tournament-high 13 home runs and loose, celebratory play. The Americans, despite nearly missing the quarterfinals, boast the best starting pitching trio with Logan Webb, Paul Skenes and Nolan McLean.

Canada emerged as the story of pool play, advancing to quarterfinals for the first time since 2006 with a potent lineup featuring Josh Naylor and Tyler O'Neill. Japan went 4-0 but faced closer tests than expected, while Venezuela showed resilience in late rallies. Puerto Rico's strong pitching compensated for limited offense without stars like Francisco Lindor.

Italy, ranked ninth, exceeded expectations with a quality lineup despite 18-1 title odds. Korea advanced via tiebreaker, ending a streak of three tournaments without pool play advancement. The quarterfinals match D.R. against Korea, USA vs. Canada, Japan versus Venezuela, and Italy facing Puerto Rico, setting up elimination rounds where managing and timely performances will determine champions.