Every four years, baseball players from around the world come together for the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The 2026 WBC was held from March 5-17, marking the tournament’s 20th anniversary. After a series of breezy victories and stunning upsets in stadiums in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan, Venezuela won the tournament with a record of 6-1.
The WBC began with a round of pool play, separating the 20 teams into four groups for a total of 40 games. Despite a team of all-stars, the U.S. only narrowly made it out of Pool B after losing to Italy; later, the U.S. beat underdog Canada 5-3 in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico also unexpectedly ended their run with a 6-8 loss to Italy. Perhaps the most unsurprising result was the Dominican Republic’s 10-0 win against South Korea, as the team is packed with MLB heavy-hitters, and Venezuela’s surprise win over 2023 champions Japan brought them to the next round.
The four victors advanced to the semifinals at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. Despite a clutch performance from pitcher Luis Severino and the Dominican Republic, homers from the U.S.’ Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony made the score 2-1, clinching them a spot in the finals. Similarly, runs batted in (RBIs) by Dante Nori and J.J. D’Orazio gave Italy the lead against Venezuela 2-0 until the fourth inning, when MLB veteran Eugenio Suárez homered into left field. Venezuela finished the job with two outs in the seventh inning, as four hits in a row brought in three runs and secured their 4-2 victory.
The U.S. and Venezuela kept the final game full of surprises. Venezuelan starter Eduardo Rodriguez kept the U.S. from scoring, and the bullpen picked up where he left off. Their strong offense lasted throughout the game, with third baseman (and later MVP) Maikel García earning an RBI in the third inning and Wilyer Abreu homering in the fifth. Bryce Harper’s two-run homer for the U.S. tied the game in the ninth, but Suárez brought a run in to make the score 3-2. With only three outs left, Venezuela earned their first international victory since 1945.
The 2026 WBC provides an interesting perspective on the future of international baseball. As the only qualifier for the Americas region, it may serve as a preview of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics; additionally, surprise performances like Venezuela’s may indicate a shift in power. No matter what happens, America’s pastime will continue to offer entertainment and worldwide connection for years to come.
