World Baseball Classic#Results

{{See also|Baseball World Cup|International Baseball Federation}}

File:1951 cuba baseball team.jpg at the 1951 Amateur World Series. Cuba won the most international titles in the 20th century.]]

Prior to the advent of the World Baseball Classic, there was no international baseball championship that saw universal participation from players across the globe. Outside the United States, the formally-recognized "world championship" was the Baseball World Cup, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and held 38 times from 1938 to 2011; it was known as the Amateur World Series until 1988. The inaugural 1938 Amateur World Series was contested by Great Britain and the United States over a series of five games from August 13 to 20 in England, and was won by Great Britain. Cuba was by far the most successful team at the Baseball World Cup, winning 25 of the 39 editions.

Baseball was also intermittently played at the Summer Olympic Games as early as 1912, although it was not recognized as an official demonstration sport until the 1984 Los Angeles Games. It would take another eight years, at the 1992 Games, for baseball to be accorded the status of a medal sport.

For most of their history, the Olympics and Baseball World Cup were open only to amateur (i.e. non-professional) players; as a results, those participating in top-level professional baseball leagues in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere were not included. Although both competition formally rescinded their amateur-only status in the 1990s, allowing professional players to participate, there was little participation from major league players. Nevertheless, the idea of a tournament with the express involvement of top-level professional ballplayers had been seriously considered since the mid-1990s. Gene Orza, counsel and board member of the Major League Baseball Players Association, began campaigning for such a tournament in 2004, enlisting the support of IBAF president Aldo Notari.{{cite book |author1=Riccardo Schiroli |title=The Game We Love |date=2019 |publisher=World Baseball Softball Confederation |url=https://static.wbsc.org/assets/files/2019_WBSC_The_Game_We_Love_SMALL.pdf |page=174}} The inaugural tournament was announced by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and MLBPA president Donald Fehr on May 11, 2005.{{cite news |title=Finally, a Chance to Find the Real World Champion |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/sports/baseball/finally-a-chance-to-find-the-real-world-champion.html |agency=The New York Times |date=May 12, 2005 |last1=Chass |first1=Murray }}{{cite news |title=World Cup announcement made |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2057633 |agency=ESPN |date=May 11, 2005}} The success of the 2006 tournament led organizers to immediately begin planning for a follow-up tournament in 2009.{{cite news |title=Classic produces comeback victory for commissioner |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2006/03/27/This-Weeks-News/Classic-Produces-Comeback-Victory-For-Commissioner.aspx?publicationSource=sbj&issue=9ec0e31864574691a61f01fcf6bfb5e9 |access-date=20 March 2024 |agency=Sports Business Journal |date=March 27, 2006}}

The IBAF merged with the International Softball Federation in 2013 to form the World Baseball Softball Confederation. That same year, the WBSC discontinued the Baseball World Cup, last held in 2011, making the World Baseball Classic one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, alongside the Premier 12.

{{See also|WBSC World Rankings}}

The World Baseball Classic is often compared to the WBSC Premier12 as they are the only two senior international baseball tournament. However, the WBC is the only one which grants to the winner the title of "World Champion". This is because players active in Major League Baseball, arguably the highest level baseball league in the world, do not participate in the Premier12.{{Cite web |last=May |first=Jeffrey |date=2024-11-08 |title=Why are MLB players not playing in the WBSC Premier12 2024? |url=https://en.as.com/mlb/why-are-mlb-players-not-playing-in-the-wbsc-premier12-2024-n/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=AS USA |language=en-us}} This renders the latter tournament less significant without the best players participating.

Despite this, controversially, the WBSC World Rankings award higher points for winning the WBSC Premier12 than winning the World Baseball Classic. Yet, the baseball world generally acknowledges the World Baseball Classic as the de facto most prestigious international baseball tournament, even often referring to it as "The World Cup of Baseball", comparing the Classic with the FIFA World Cup.{{Cite web |title='Biggest thing ever': Germany, Brazil to play for final Classic spot |url=https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/news/brazil-germany-to-play-for-world-baseball-classic-bid |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=MLB.com |language=en |quote="That 'World Cup', as we say in Brazil, is important for all the young people as well who follow the Brazilian team,” Orlando added. “It will be important to have that feeling of moving on to the next level.”}}

File:Bud Selig on October 31, 2010.jpg was a driving force in creating the WBC]]

The first World Baseball Classic tournament was announced in May {{baseball year|2005}} by Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball had been attempting to create such a tournament for at least two years, but faced resistance from both owners and the MLBPA players' union. MLB owners, notably New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, had been concerned about their star players being injured in international play before the beginning of spring training and the regular season. This was a concern for the MLBPA as well, but their primary objection was with drug testing. MLB wanted the stricter Olympic standards in place for the tournament, while the union wanted the more lax MLB standards in place at the time.{{cite news |title=On Baseball; M.L.B. Needs To Play Tough For World Cup |work=The New York Times |agency=The New York Times |date=February 10, 2004 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/10/sports/on-baseball-mlb-needs-to-play-tough-for-world-cup.html |last1=Chass |first1=Murray }} Eventually, a deal was reached on insurance for player contracts and a fairly tough drug testing standard. MLB teams would not be able to directly block their players from participating.

Similarly, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and its players' association had a disagreement over participation in the tournament. While the owners initially agreed to the invitation, the players' union was concerned about the time of year the tournament was scheduled to take place, as well as their right to be better represented for the {{baseball year|2009}} tournament. On September 16, 2005, after four months of negotiations, NPB officially notified the IBAF and MLB they had accepted the invitation.

{{see also||2006 World Baseball Classic championship|2009 World Baseball Classic championship}}

The 16-team field for the inaugural 2006 tournament was pre-selected, featuring the countries judged to be the "best baseball-playing nations" in the world; no qualifying competition was held.{{cite web|title=World Baseball Classic |url=http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/about/index.jsp?sid=wbc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123003823/http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/about/index.jsp?sid=wbc |archive-date=January 23, 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=March 13, 2009 }} The tournament format featured round-robin group play in the first and second rounds, followed by single-elimination semifinals and finals. The first game in WBC history saw South Korea defeat Chinese Taipei 2–0 before a crowd of 5,193 at the Tokyo Dome on March 3, 2006. South Korea went on to advance to the semifinals with a 6–0 record but lost to Japan (a team South Korea had beaten twice in the earlier rounds) for a berth in the final game. Meanwhile, Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic in the other semifinal. Both countries had to go through two rounds of group stages and the semi-finals in knockout format to reach the final. Cuba lost only two games, once to Puerto Rico in the first round and once to the Dominican Republic in the second round. However, Japan lost three times, twice to South Korea in each round and the United States in the second round. This sparked a format controversy since South Korea would have a better overall and head-to-head record than Japan by the end of the tournament. As such, Cuba was the favorite to win the final. The team with the higher winning percentage of games in the tournament was to be the home team.

file:WBC Championship Trophy.JPG]]

The match began progressing when Japan's starting pitcher–Daisuke Matsuzaka–gave up four hits, five strikeouts and one run by the end of the 4th inning using a gyroball pitching style. Offensively, Japan was able to record 6 runs with the help of Ichiro Suzuki's batting style of contact hitting. Once the Japanese bullpen took the mound in the 6th inning, Cuba aggressively responded for the rest of the baseball game, using power hitting. By the end of the eighth, the disparity would come down to one run in favor of Japan from Frederich Cepeda's home run, who would record three runs batted in by the end of the game. In the ninth, Japan would counter by pushing their offensive limit over Cuba's, which would result in a final score of ten to six. The aftermath of the final most notably included notice from Major League Baseball, from Cuba's increase in defection to Matsuzaka's impact for the World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the next year.

The next iteration of the tournament, taking place in 2009, featured the same 16 teams from 2006. However, the controversial round-robin format from 2006 was replaced by a modified double-elimination format for the first two rounds (the semifinals and final game remained single-elimination). The eight teams advancing from the first round were the same as in 2006, except for a "Cinderella" performance by the Netherlands, which twice defeated the Dominican Republic to reach the second round. In the semifinals, South Korea defeated Venezuela while Japan defeated the United States. South Korea won the coin flip held after the second semifinal between Japan and the United States, designating them as the home team for the final.{{cite news |first=John |last=Schlegel |title=Japan and Korea familiar foes at Classic |url=http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090323&content_id=4052198&vkey=wbc&team= |work=Worldbaseballclassic.com |date=March 23, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207210323/http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090323&content_id=4052198&vkey=wbc&team= |archive-date=December 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Japan drew first blood, scoring on an RBI single by Michihiro Ogasawara in the third inning. Shin-Soo Choo tied the score 1−all with a home run in the fifth inning. With runners on first and third, Hiroyuki Nakajima hit an RBI single to bring Seiichi Uchikawa home to give Japan the lead 2−1.{{cite news |first=Barry |last=Bloom |title=Ichiro lifts Japan to Classic glory |url=http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090323&content_id=4056138&vkey=wbc&team=jpn |work=Worldbaseballclassic.com |date=March 24, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326235023/http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090323&content_id=4056138&vkey=wbc&team=jpn |archive-date=March 26, 2009 |url-status=dead }} South Korea failed to take advantage of Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, who was visibly tired, when they failed to score in the seventh inning, when Iwakuma was relieved by Toshiya Sugiuchi after two outs. Uchikawa hit a single to start the eighth. Atsunori Inaba scored a double to put Uchikawa in scoring position, and Uchikawa scored on Akinori Iwamura's sacrifice fly. Hyun-wook Jong retired the remaining batters to close out the inning.

Japan brought out their closer, Yu Darvish, for the bottom of the ninth with a 3−2 lead. Darvish struck out Keun-woo Jeong, but walked Hyun-soo Kim and Tae-kyun Kim to put South Koreans on first and second with one out. Darvish then struck out Choo and was one out away from saving the game. But Bum-ho Lee singled, driving in Jong-wook Lee for the game-tying run to make it 3−all and send the game into extra innings.{{cite news |title=Ichiro comes through with big hit as Japan wins WBC |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/baseball/wbbc/recap?gameId=290323108&league=wbbc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327023442/http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/baseball/wbbc/recap?gameId=290323108&league=wbbc |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 27, 2009 |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN |date=March 24, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2009 }} Japan batted first, with Chang-yong Lim pitching for South Korea in the tenth. Uchikawa and Iwamura hit a single to put runners on first and third with two out. Ichiro was one strike away from ending the inning when he hit a line-drive single up the middle that scored Iwamura and Uchikawa. Lim then hit Nakajima with a pitch and intentionally walked Norichika Aoki to face Kenji Johjima who was hitless up to that point. Lim was able to strikeout Johjima and send the game to the bottom of the tenth. Darvish made short work of South Korea, capping with a strikeout of Keun-woo Jeong to clinch Japan's successful defense of their 2006 championship.{{cite news |title=Japan vs. Korea box score |work=Yahoo! Sports |date=March 24, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2009 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/wbc/boxscore;_ylt=Asn84i5Xw8_6qBN7jTWUZEERvLYF?gid=290323104 }}

Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan was awarded the tournament MVP for the second consecutive time, with a 3−0 record and 2.45 ERA.{{cite web

|title=Ichiro Suzuki Delivers Memorable End to World Baseball Classic |work=The New York Times

|date=March 24, 2009 |first=Jack |last=Curry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/sports/baseball/25wbc.html

|access-date=March 27, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090325183547/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/sports/baseball/25wbc.html| archive-date= March 25, 2009 | url-status= live}}{{cite AV media |date=March 23, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixb2E5rxe4Q |title=Round 4-2009 WBC Final - Japan vs Korea - Monday, March 23, 2009 - 8:30pm CDT - ESPN, MLB Int |publisher=The Bricks & Ivy Archive |via=YouTube |access-date=September 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508212926/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixb2E5rxe4Q&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=May 8, 2020 |url-status=live}}

After the match the team was congratulated immediately for their victory by Japanese prime minister Taro Aso. And Korean President Lee Myung-bak invited the Korean team to come and encourage the team.

{{see also||2013 World Baseball Classic championship}}

In 2013, The World Baseball Classic is one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, alongside the Premier 12 but the Classic is the only one which grants to the winner the title of "World Champion".

The buildup to the 2013 tournament included a qualifying round for the first time, with the four lowest finishers from 2009 having to re-qualify against 12 additional teams. This resulted in two new nations making their first appearances in the WBC, as Brazil and Spain respectively replaced Panama and South Africa. The round-robin format was revived for the tournament's first-round, while the second-round remained double-elimination. in Pool B, South Korea went into the final game needing not only to win (which would cause a three-way tie for the two second-round berths) but to win by at least five runs in order to have a chance of advancing on tiebreakers. Although Chinese Taipei lost its 2−0 lead in Korea's three-run eighth-inning rally, and then lost the game, they emerged as winners of the pool and of the second-round berth since Korea's margin of victory was only one run. and then Italy was the biggest surprise in the early stages of the tournament, making it to the second round with wins over Canada and Mexico.

File:DR_vs_PR._World_Baseball_Classic.jpg between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, 20 March 2013]]

The tournament ended in an all-Caribbean championship game, with the Dominican Republic defeating Puerto Rico, In the final, Samuel Deduno started for the Dominican Republic, while Giancarlo Alvarado started for Puerto Rico.{{cite web|agency=Associated Press |url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2013-03-19/world-baseball-classic-2013-dominican-republic-puerto-rico-jose-reyes-robinson-c |title=Dominican Republic wins 2013 World Baseball Classic; blanks Puerto Rico in final – MLB – Sporting News |publisher=Aol.sportingnews.com |access-date=March 20, 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/03/18/wbc-championship-game-puerto-rico-giancarlo-alvarado/1998117/ |title=WBC provides journeyman one shot at stardom |work=USA Today |date= March 18, 2013|access-date=March 20, 2013 |first1=John |last1=Perrotto}} 35,703 fans attended the game at AT&T Park in San Francisco. An additional 50,000 Dominican fans watched the game at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In Puerto Rico, the final was the most watched sporting event for the past year with nearly three-fourths of all households tuning in.{{cite news|title=Unbeaten Dominican Republic claim World Baseball Classic title|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/mar/20/dominican-republic-win-world-baseball-classic|access-date=March 21, 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|first=Steve|last=Busfield|date=March 20, 2013}}{{cite news|title=To D.R., WBC title means everything|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/worldclassic2013/story/_/id/9073682/world-baseball-classic-title-means-everything-dominicans|access-date=March 21, 2013|newspaper=ESPN}} Edwin Encarnación hit a two-run double in the first inning, giving the Dominican Republic the lead. Erick Aybar had the game's third run batted in for the Dominican Republic. Deduno recorded five strikeouts in five scoreless innings pitched and Fernando Rodney completed the game with a save, his seventh of the tournament. Four Dominican relief pitchers combined for 4 scoreless innings.{{cite news|title=World-Class Pitching Carries Undefeated Dominicans to Title|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/sports/baseball/dominican-republic-wins-world-baseball-classic.html?_r=0|access-date=March 21, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Tyler|last=Kepner|date=March 20, 2013}}

This was the third time in the tournament that the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic completed the tournament with an 8–0 record, becoming the first undefeated team to win the World Baseball Classic. Robinson Canó was named the Most Valuable Player of the Classic after he batted 15-for-32 (.469), the most hits in tournament history. After the match the team was congratulated for their victory by Dominican president Danilo Medina.{{cite web|title=Danilo Medina felicita la selección de béisbol|url=http://eldia.com.do/deportes/2013/3/20/109873/Danilo-Medina-felicita-la-seleccion-de-beisbol|publisher=El Dia|access-date=March 21, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130412110721/http://eldia.com.do/deportes/2013/3/20/109873/Danilo-Medina-felicita-la-seleccion-de-beisbol|archive-date=April 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}

{{see also|2017 World Baseball Classic championship}}

File:Play_Ball_Ballpark_(48262401092).jpg

The 2017 tournament returned to the format used in 2006, where both the first and second rounds were round-robin, though with the addition of tiebreaker games if needed. Colombia and Israel qualified for the first time, with Israel using a roster mostly of Jewish American players. Prior to the start of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, ESPN considered Team Israel, ranked 41st in the world, to be the biggest underdog in the tournament, referring to it as the "Jamaican bobsled team of the WBC".[https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18805572/team-israel-wbc-biggest-underdog-ever "Team Israel -- and its mascot, Mensch on a Bench -- is the Jamaican bobsled team of the WBC"], ESPN.[http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/sports/1.775667 "World Baseball Classic: Israel's Cinderella Run Forges Ahead After Upsetting Taiwan"], Haaretz. On the other hand, Defending champion Dominican Republic extended its WBC winning streak to 11 games, dating to the 2013 tournament, before being eliminated in the second round. The United States won its first WBC championship, defeating Japan and Puerto Rico in the semifinals and finals, respectively. Puerto Rico reached the championship undefeated in the tournament, winning all seven games played. Puerto Rico had defeated the United States when they faced each other in Pool F.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/usa-puerto-rico-meet-in-classic-final-c220353482|title=USA-PR a final worthy of emotional WBC '17|work=MLB.com|first=Phil|last=Rogers|date=March 22, 2017|access-date=March 22, 2017|archive-date=March 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322173528/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/220353482/usa-puerto-rico-meet-in-classic-final/|url-status=live}}

In the semi-final Japan reached the semifinals with wins in all six games played in the previous rounds.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/78147/exactly-how-good-is-this-japanese-wbc-team|first=David|last=Schoenfield|title=Just how good is Japan's unbeaten WBC team?|work=ESPN.com|date=March 21, 2017|access-date=March 22, 2017}} Tanner Roark started for the United States in the semifinal game,{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2017/03/19/tanner-roark-set-to-start-for-team-usa-on-tuesday-daniel-murphy-continues-to-sit/|title=Tanner Roark set to start for Team USA on Tuesday, Daniel Murphy continues to sit|first=Chelsea|last=Janes|newspaper=Washington Post|date=March 19, 2017|accessdate=March 20, 2017}} while Tomoyuki Sugano started for Japan.{{cite web|url=http://www.theolympian.com/sports/article139755443.html|title=US gives Roark shot at redemption vs Japan in WBC semis|agency=Associated Press|work=The Olympian|date=March 20, 2017|accessdate=March 20, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Roark pitched four scoreless innings,{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/03/22/usa-beats-japan-reaches-world-baseball-classic-final-first-time/99480456/|title=USA beats Japan, reaches World Baseball Classic final for the first time|first=Bob|last=Nightengale|work=USA Today|date=March 22, 2017|accessdate=March 22, 2017}} while Sugano allowed one run in six innings. The United States scored a run on an RBI single by Andrew McCutchen in the fourth inning, and Ryosuke Kikuchi hit a home run for Japan in the sixth inning to tie the game. The United States scored another run in the eighth inning to take the lead, and Luke Gregerson earned the save. Though the Japanese team was considered the strongest defensive team in the WBC, mistakes by Kikuchi at second base and Nobuhiro Matsuda at third base led to each of the United States's runs.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/sports/baseball/world-baseball-classic-usa-japan.html|title=U.S., Exploiting Japan's Miscues, Reaches First W.B.C. Final|first=Billy|last=Witz|work=The New York Times|date=March 22, 2017|accessdate=March 22, 2017}}

In the championship game, Seth Lugo started for Puerto Rico,{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/puerto-rico-eyes-crown-in-classic-run-c220223342|title=Puerto Rico eyes crown in Classic run|first=Barry M.|last=Bloom|work=MLB.com|date=March 21, 2017|access-date=March 21, 2017|archive-date=March 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322014729/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/220223342/puerto-rico-eyes-crown-in-classic-run/|url-status=live}} and Marcus Stroman started for the United States. Ian Kinsler hit a two-run home run for the United States in the third inning, as Puerto Rico's performance faltered without earning a single run throughout the innings. Kinsler scored again in the fifth inning on a single by Christian Yelich, and Yelich scored on an infield single by McCutchen. Two more runs scored on a bases loaded single by Brandon Crawford in the seventh inning, and Giancarlo Stanton scored the inning's third run with an RBI single. Meanwhile, Stroman did not allow a hit for the first six innings of play. The United States added another run in the eighth inning with an RBI single by McCutchen. The United States completed the shutout to win the championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/world-baseball-classic-2017-final-usa-puerto-rico-updates-championship-game-score-result/1kz8lmqgb45jk1um11snm713zs|title=World Baseball Classic 2017: Live updates of U.S.-Puerto Rico tournament final|first=Tom|last=Gatto|work=Sporting News|date=March 22, 2017|access-date=March 22, 2017}} Stroman was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/stroman-stellar-u-s-blows-puerto-rico-win-world-baseball-classic/|title=Stroman MVP, U.S. blows out Puerto Rico to win World Baseball Classic|agency=Associated Press|work=Sportsnet.ca|date=March 23, 2017|access-date=March 23, 2017}}

File:WBC 2023 Gold Medal.jpg

In January 2020, MLB announced that the 2021 WBC would be expanded to 20 teams. The additional four participants would be determined through qualifying tournaments, which were originally planned to take place in March 2020.{{cite web |title=Qualifying Round brackets set for '21 Classic |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-qualifying-round-brackets |website=MLB.com |access-date=February 2, 2020}} However, on March 12, 2020, Major League Baseball announced that the 2021 tournament would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{ cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-major-league-baseball-to-delay-2020-opening-day-by-at-least-two-we | title=Major League Baseball to delay 2020 Opening Day by at least two weeks | work=MLB.com Press Release | date=March 12, 2020 | access-date=May 19, 2020 }}

The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) from the 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout planned for the next World Baseball Classic to be held in 2023.{{cite web |title=MLB's plans for international play from now until 2026 |url=https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/1504151435159744517 |publisher=Twitter |access-date=March 22, 2022}}{{cite web |title=World Baseball Classic returning in 2023 |date=March 16, 2022 |url=https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2318303 |publisher=The Athletic |access-date=March 22, 2022}} Qualification for the tournament concluded on October 5, 2022, with Nicaragua claiming the final berth in a victory against Brazil.{{Cite web |date=October 5, 2022 |title=Nicaragua qualify for first World Baseball Classic |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1128883/nicaragua-wbc |access-date=February 14, 2023 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}} The competition took place from March 8, 2023, to March 21, 2023.{{Cite web |title=World Baseball Classic |url=https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic |access-date=February 14, 2023 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2023-world-baseball-classic-schedule-scores-and-standings/|title=2023 World Baseball Classic Schedule and Scores|first=Kyle|last=Glaser|website=www.baseballamerica.com|date=March 22, 2023 }}

For the 2023 classic, the MLB urged its stars to participate. Mike Trout announced his participation, which motivated a cascade of others including Trea Turner, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, J. T. Realmuto, Mookie Betts and more of MLB's finest to join Team USA. This further stimulated participation of other important stars in countries around the world. The Samurai Japan team assembled their own star-studded roster, including Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Yu Darvish, Masataka Yoshida, Munetaka Murakami, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to form what many consider to be the most powerful Japanese team in history.

The United States beat Venezuela to face Cuba in the semifinals. Baseball is Cuba's most popular sport, and is played at a very high level. Therefore, the stakes of the encounter were high. Meanwhile, Japan faced Mexico in the semifinals, who were on a Cinderella run, majorly led by Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena.

After defeating Cuba in the semifinals by a wide margin, the United States faced another rival, Japan, in the championship game. The final was incredibly popular in Japan, drawing over 54 million Japanese viewers. Shōta Imanaga started for Japan, while Merrill Kelly started for USA. With a 3–2 lead, two outs, and no runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Japan's Shohei Ohtani, one of the best pitchers in recent memory, stood on the mound as his Angels teammate Mike Trout, widely considered the greatest player of his generation, stepped up to the plate. After the first pitch of this matchup, Fox Sports commentator Joe Davis reflected on the spectacle, saying, "As Benji Gil said last night, 'Baseball's already won.'"{{cite news|last=Kepner|first=Tyler|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/sports/baseball/japan-world-baseball-classic.html|title=With Japan-U.S. Final at the W.B.C., the World Has Already Won|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 21, 2023|access-date=June 3, 2025}} The two battled to a full count. Ohtani would lure Trout to swing and miss with a slider down and away, sealing the victory for Japan.{{cite news|last=Stutman-Shaw|first=Caleb|url=https://www.theindy.org/article/2980|title=Imperialism at the World Baseball Classic|newspaper=The College Hill Independent|date=April 22, 2023|access-date=June 3, 2025}}

After the match, Japan was congratulated for their victory by Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. They became the second team to win the World Baseball classic without losing a single game the entire tournament, after the aforementioned Dominican Republic in 2013.

Before the championship game of the 2023 tournament, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the next World Baseball Classic would be held in 2026.[https://sports.yahoo.com/world-baseball-classic-to-be-held-again-in-2026-mlb-commissioner-announces-215230359.html World Baseball Classic to be held again in 2026, MLB commissioner announces] Sixteen teams qualified by making the top four of their four respective pools during the 2023 tournament. The other four remaining participants will be determined through the qualifying tournament scheduled for 2025.{{Cite web |title=When's the next World Baseball Classic? MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirms plans for 2026 tournament |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/whens-the-next-world-baseball-classic-mlb-commissioner-rob-manfred-confirms-plans-for-2026-tournament/amp/ |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=CBS Sports }}

In May 2024, it was announced that the pool play rounds will be played in Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tokyo, Japan. The quarterfinals will be split between Miami and Houston, and the final round will be played in Miami.[https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-host-sites-announced Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami announced as World Baseball Classic 2026 hosts]

The World Baseball Classic is held during the month of March, coinciding with the spring training pre-season for most top-level professional baseball leagues such as Major League Baseball (MLB), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the KBO League.{{Cite web |title=WBC returns in March 2026, retaining spring training slot |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/wbc-returns-march-2026-retaining-034455687.html |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}} Venues are located in either indoor baseball domes or at outdoor baseball stadiums which have mild or moderately warm temperatures during early spring.

Despite the absence of many elite MLB pitchers due to exposure or conditioning limits set by their club employers and insurance underwriting issues and non-standardization,{{Cite web |date=March 21, 2023 |title=MLB's Rob Manfred pushes for more star pitchers in next WBC |first1=Alden |last1=Gonzalez |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35913858/mlb-rob-manfred-pushes-more-star-pitchers-next-wbc |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=ESPN |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2023 |title=Why the 2023 World Baseball Classic is the most important ever |first1=Joon |last1=Lee |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35804308/world-baseball-classic-2023-mlb-impact-explained |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=ESPN |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322143941/https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35804308/world-baseball-classic-2023-mlb-impact-explained |archive-date= March 22, 2023 }} the tournament continues to attract a star-studded field of elite baseball players, particularly among position players who are potent batters.{{Cite web |last=Yomtov |first=Jesse |title=2023 World Baseball Classic: Team USA's full roster includes 21 All-Stars, 4 MVPs |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/02/10/team-usa-world-baseball-classic-2023-roster-coaches/11228427002/ |date=Feb 10, 2023 |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}

In 2006, many high caliber players from both Major League Baseball and in leagues around the world participated in the World Baseball Classic. Amongst the players that made the All–WBC team were Americans Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. From Japan, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Ichiro Suzuki and Tomoya Satozaki were on the team. Other internationals included players from Cuba—Yulieski Gurriel, Yoandy Garlobo and Yadel Martí; and from the Dominican Republic—Albert Pujols, Pedro Martínez and José Bautista. The 2009 Classic saw a similarly high-profile field, with a number of players such as Hall of Famers Pedro Martínez, Iván Rodríguez and Chipper Jones and the major international debuts of Cuba's Yoenis Céspedes and Aroldis Chapman.

For the 2013 tournament, Japanese players threatened to boycott the event despite its domestic popularity,{{cite web |last=Coskrey |first=Jason |title=JPBPA unanimously votes to boycott WBC |work=The Japan Times |date=July 21, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012 |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sb20120721g1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426011859/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2012/07/21/sports/jpbpa-unanimously-votes-to-boycott-wbc/#.UXnWD0TP1qY |archive-date= Apr 26, 2013 }} before later agreeing to take part after reaching a compromise in September 2012 with tournament organizers on sharing sponsorship and licensing revenue.{{cite news |title=Japan agrees to play in 2013 WBC |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN |date=September 4, 2012 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8335634/japan-commits-2013-world-baseball-classic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129042239/http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8335634/japan-commits-2013-world-baseball-classic/ |archive-date= Jan 29, 2016 }} Nevertheless, many key players from the 2009 Japanese team such as Yu Darvish, Ichiro, and Hisashi Iwakuma decided not to participate. However, other prominent MLB players accepted selections from their national teams, such as Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, R. A. Dickey, Joey Votto, Adrián González, Robinson Canó, and José Reyes, among many others.

In 2017, former All-Stars such as Adam Jones, Chris Archer, Buster Posey, Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen and others played for the United States. For the Dominican Republic, former All-Stars Adrián Beltré, Robinson Canó, Manny Machado, José Reyes, Edinson Vólquez, and more participated. Adrián González played once more for Mexico, and Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltrán represented Puerto Rico alongside up-and-coming stars such as Javier Báez, Carlos Correa, and Francisco Lindor. Venezuela's roster included Jose Altuve and Miguel Cabrera.

In 2023, former All-Stars on the U.S. team included Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado, Pete Alonso, Mookie Betts, Tim Anderson, Jeff McNeil, J. T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Kyle Tucker, Ryan Pressly, Lance Lynn, Miles Mikolas, and Paul Goldschmidt.{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=March 9, 2023 |title=Captain America |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/sports/baseball/mike-trout-usa-world-baseball-classic.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 11, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311005019/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/sports/baseball/mike-trout-usa-world-baseball-classic.html |archive-date=March 11, 2023 }} St Louis Cardinals teammates Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman both participated as part of Japan and South Korea respectively, in honor of both their mothers' heritages.{{Cite web |date=March 21, 2023 |title=Why is Lars Nootbaar playing for Japan in WBC? California-born outfielder honoring mother's heritage |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/lars-nootbaar-japan-wbc-mother/duzcpbmxqnujsssxmo7ajp5z |first1=Jacob |last1=Camenker |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=Sporting News |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |date=February 28, 2023 |title=Why Tommy Edman is playing for Korea: Michigan-born infielder to represent mother's heritage in World Baseball Classic |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/tommy-edman-korea-world-baseball-classic/jxnjmdhvgadjkkmnkzdibnde |first1=Kevin |last1=Skiver |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=Sporting News |language=en-us}} Similarly, Los Angeles Dodgers player Freddie Freeman decided to play for Canada instead, in honor of his late mother.{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Why Freddie Freeman is playing against the U.S. tonight instead of for Team USA |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35828722/wbc-2023-world-baseball-classic-freddie-freeman-team-canada |first1=Jesse |last1=Rogers |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} Randy Arozarena, despite being Cuban, opted to play for Mexico instead after the WBC rules allowed players who legally were residents in a country to play for that country, having asked Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to help him in his case for approval of his application as a legal citizen of Mexico.{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2023 |title=Why is Randy Arozarena playing for Mexico in WBC? Cuban-born Rays outfielder embraces Mexican citizenship |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/randy-arozarena-mexico-citizen-cuba-wbc/ydwhr2ywfbudgrzrlyu0duxx |first1=David |last1=Suggs |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=Sporting News |language=en-us}}

In addition to the standard rules of baseball, the World Baseball Classic employs the following additional rules:

A player is eligible to participate on a World Baseball Classic team if any one of the following criteria is met:{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/about/rules.jsp#player_eligibility|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209190928/http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/about/rules.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 9, 2013|title=World Baseball Classic Qualifier Rules and Regulations|access-date=January 9, 2013}}

• The player is a citizen of the nation the team represents.
• The player is qualified for citizenship or to hold a passport under the laws of a nation represented by a team, but has not been granted citizenship or been issued a passport; in this case, the player may be made eligible by World Baseball Classic Inc.{{clarify|reason=WBCI is not defined anywhere|date=March 2017}} upon petition by the player or team.
• The player is a permanent legal resident of the nation or territory the team represents.
• The player was born in the nation or territory the team represents.
• The player has one parent who is, or if deceased was, a citizen of the nation the team represents.
• The player has one parent who was born in the nation or territory the team represents.{{cite web |url=http://deadspin.com/5167239/dan-serafini-wins-one-for-team-italy|title=Dan Serafini Wins One For Team Italy |date=March 10, 2009 |access-date=March 21, 2009}}

A pitcher cannot pitch more than:

• 85 pitches per game in the Qualifying Round (all tournaments since 2013, when this round was introduced)
• 65 pitches per game in the First Round (all tournaments except 2009, in which the limit was 70)
• 80 pitches per game in the Second Round (all tournaments except 2009, in which the limit was 85)
• 95 pitches per game in the Championship Round (all tournaments except 2009, in which the limit was 100)

A pitcher can still finish a batter's plate appearance even if the limit is reached, but must come out after completing the plate appearance.

To prevent one-sided contests, games are ended early if one team is ahead by a certain amount. These mercy rules do not apply during the knockout stage.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/giants/what-are-2023-world-baseball-classic-rules|title=World Baseball Classic rule guide: Pitch count, mercy rules, DH|website=RSN|date=February 16, 2023 }}

The designated hitter rule applies for all games.{{Cite web|url=http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/about/rules.jsp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209190928/http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/about/rules.jsp|url-status=dead|title=World Baseball Classic: About - Rules|archive-date=February 9, 2013}}

From 2009 through 2017, starting with the 11th inning, teams automatically start with runners on first and second base.{{cite web|title=About World Baseball Classic|url=http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/about/infographic.jsp|publisher=worldbaseballclassic.com|access-date=October 12, 2013}} The baserunners are the players in the two batting order positions previous to the leadoff batter for the inning (or substitutes called in to pinch-run for those players). Organizers put this rule in place starting with the 2009 tournament, although originally, it did not come into effect until the 13th inning.{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |title=WBC adopts extra-inning rule |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/worldclassic2009/news/story?id=3870558 |website=ESPN|date=January 30, 2009 }} The intention behind the rule is to help ensure extra-inning games end in as timely a manner as possible, reducing the chance of seeing marathon extra-inning games that place undue strain on players, particularly pitchers.{{cite web |last1=Baer |first1=Bill |title=WBC's extra-innings rule cheapens Puerto Rico's win, sadly |url=https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2017/03/21/wbcs-extra-innings-rule-cheapens-puerto-ricos-win-sadly/ |website=NBCSports.com|date=March 21, 2017 }} As no extra-inning games in either the 2009 or 2013 WBCs reached the point where the rule came into play, it took until the 2017 WBC for it to affect a game's outcome. There were three such games in 2017, and all three were decided in the 11th inning.

In 2023, the rule was changed to bring the WBC in line with Major League Baseball.

Beginning in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, video review is available for all situations as it would be during a Major League Baseball regular season game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-rules-and-regulations-2023|title=2023 World Baseball Classic rules and regulations|website=MLB.com}}

Unlike regular season play, where the number of runs by which a team wins a game is not relevant, the number of runs by which a WBC team wins may be relevant if a tie later develops in the standings. In such cases, teams are ranked by their Team Quality Balance, which rewards them for scoring by as many runs as possible, and for winning with as few of their batters getting out as possible when batting in the bottom of the inning.{{Cite web|title=Major changes coming to international baseball and softball, World Cups|url=https://www.wbsc.org/news/major-changes-international-baseball-softball-world-cups|access-date=January 2, 2021|website=wbsc.org|language=en|quote=Following the WBSC World Cup/Tournament Commission’s recommendation, the team with the best Team Quality Balance (TQB) will advance or place higher in the final standings. The TQB is calculated this way: runs scored/inning played at bat-runs allowed/innings playing on defense.}} This caused problems during the 2013 WBC, where one game spawned a bench-clearing brawl between the Canadian and Mexican teams (Canadian hitter Chris Robinson had bunted for a base hit after Canada had already taken a large lead, causing Mexican pitcher Arnold Leon to throw three consecutive pitches at the next hitter, Rene Tosoni).

These tiebreakers were changed starting in the 2017 WBC to be "fewest runs allowed per inning of defense in head-to-head games", which still places an emphasis on scoring as many runs as possible (whilst also allowing the fewest runs as possible).

{{See also|2026 World Baseball Classic}}

File:WBSC_flag.svg (WBSC)]]

The first two iterations of the Classic featured the same 16 teams, chosen by invitation. A qualifying round was added leading into the 2013 tournament and takes place in the year before the WBC proper. Brazil and Spain were the first new countries to earn berths in the WBC via qualification, and so far the addition of qualifying has allowed seven nations to play in the tournament who were not part of the original 16.

The qualification setup for the 2013 and 2017 WBCs featured the top 12 finishing teams from the previous WBC being automatically entered in the following edition, while the four lowest finishers (the teams that finished in last place in their first-round pools) were relegated to the qualifying round. Qualifying consisted of four four-team modified double-elimination tournaments, with the winners earning the last four slots in the main tournament.

With the 2023 WBC expanding to 20 teams, the qualifying format changed as well. All 16 participants from the 2017 WBC received automatic bids. The restructured qualifying round consisted of a pair of six-team double-elimination tournaments, from which the winners and runners-up advanced to play in the 2023 WBC.

{{See also|World Baseball Classic Trophy}}

{{See also|World Baseball Classic television ratings}}

The tournament is one of the world's most viewed baseball events.{{cite web |date=March 22, 2023 |title=How World Baseball Classic may have helped MLB, Cubs grow |url=https://allchgo.com/2023/03/22/world-baseball-classic-mlb-cubs/ |access-date= |website=allchgo.com |publisher=}}{{cite web |date=March 20, 2023 |title=When is the World Baseball Classic final? Date, start time, and TV listings |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-when-world-baseball-classic-final-date-start-time-tv-listings |access-date= |website=www.sportskeeda.com |publisher=}} The 2023 tournament was broadcast in 163 territories through 63 media partners, and it was broadcast in 13 languages around the globe.{{cite web |title=2023 World Baseball Classic reaches 163 territories

|website=broadcastnow.co.uk|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcasting/2023-world-baseball-classic-reaches-163-territories/5180528.article|publisher= |access-date= |date=March 24, 2023}} and received US$100 million in benefits,{{cite web |title=WBC delivers emphatic turnout, as much as $100M in revenue

|website=sportsbusinessjournal.com |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/03/23/Events-and-Attractions/world-baseball-classic-revenue.aspx|publisher= |access-date= |date=March 23, 2023}} In Japan, nearly 100 million people watched the WBC in 2023,{{cite web |title=平日WBC決勝の視聴者数は延べ約1億人 生中継テレ朝系5463万9000人、録画TBS系4183万8000人|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/fc3f3c73055b2aa7a62cfbe90569e686f4a6c8c4|website=news.yahoo.co.jp |publisher= |access-date= |date=March 23, 2023}} and 55+ million people watched the end of the tournament, as Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout. The tournament is one of the most popular events in the Caribbean, Central and South America, particularly in Venezuela, part of Northern Colombia and is called the "Clásico Mundial".[https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/beisbol/2023/03/22/anuncian-equipo-estrella-del-clasico-mundial-de-beisbol-2023/2262547 Ni un dominicano en el anunciado Equipo Todos Estrellas del Clásico Mundial 2023][https://soyreferee.com/deportes/2023/2/21/clasico-mundial-2023-por-tv-abierta-canal-horarios-para-ver-los-juegos-de-mexico-18325.html Clásico Mundial 2023: ¡Por TV abierta! Canal y horarios para ver los juegos de Méxicoc][https://piodeportes.com/cantidad-de-dinero-dado-al-equipo-campeon-del-clasico-mundial-2023/ Cantidad de dinero dado al equipo campeón del Clásico Mundial 2023] The match between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico is considered a strong rivalry, called "El Clásico". In 2023, the Pool D game between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic was viewed by 62% of households in Puerto Rico.{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2023/03/22/world-baseball-classic-championship-ratings-make-massive-jump-from-2017/ |title=World Baseball Classic championship ratings make massive jump from 2017 |date=March 23, 2023 |access-date=March 25, 2023 |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323030053/https://nypost.com/2023/03/22/world-baseball-classic-championship-ratings-make-massive-jump-from-2017/ |url-status=live }}

{{See also|List of sports attendance figures}}

World Baseball Classic attendance:

World Baseball Classic qualifier attendance:

While comparable tournaments traditionally have had one host country, each WBC has used multiple hosts spread around different parts of the world. Thus far, seven different countries have hosted at least one WBC pool, with each edition of the tournament featuring games played in Asia, Latin America, and the United States. However, the championship round has always been held at Major League Baseball stadiums in the United States.

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{{small div|

;Keys

• F/N: result/match won after extra innings or mercy rule, where N is the total number of innings in the match
• TBD: to be determined}}

{{see also|National team appearances in the World Baseball Classic}}

;Legend

• {{bg|gold|1st}} – Champions
• {{bg|silver|2nd}} – Runners-up
• {{bg|#cc9966|3rd}} – Third place
• {{bg|#9acdff|4th}} – Fourth place
• QF – Quarterfinals (2023–present)
• R2 – Round 2 (2006–2017: second round)
• R1 – Round 1 (2006–2017: first round, 2023–present: pool stage)
• {{bg|#ffcccc|    }} – Relegated to qualification tournament
• Q – Qualified
• {{border|width=1px|color=gray| • }} – Did not qualify
• {{border|width=1px|color=gray| × }} – Did not enter

File:WBC2006 Daisuke Matsuzaka (cropped).jpg is the only player to twice win the WBC MVP]]

The inaugural winner of the award in 2006 was Japan's Daisuke Matsuzaka, who pitched 13 innings and finished with a 3–0 record. Soon after this performance, Matsuzaka received a multi-million dollar contract to join the Boston Red Sox of America's Major League Baseball.[https://web.archive.org/web/20060206212234/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/index The first World Baseball Classic in history] ESPN. Retrieved on February 19, 2010 Again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Matsuzaka received the world classic MVP, finishing with a record of 3–0 and an ERA of 2.54. In 2013, Robinson Canó won MVP after hitting .469 with two home runs and six RBI over the course of the tournament.[http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-spt-0320-rogers-wbc-baseball--20130320,0,5373594.column Cano dominates center stage of WBC]. chicagotribune.com (March 20, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-23. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman took home the award in 2017 for the United States. Stroman posted a 2.35 ERA over three starts and no-hit Puerto Rico through six innings in an 8–0 win in the Finals.{{cite web|title=Marcus Stroman's masterful outing gets U.S. over hump for first World Baseball Classic title|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/world-baseball-classic-2017-champion-united-states-puerto-rico-highlights-marcus-stroman/36vfk91pysxj161p5of3x96t8|website=Sporting News}} In 2023, Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani claimed MVP honors after slashing .435/.606/.739 as a hitter and posting a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9{{2/3}} innings as a pitcher, also pitching the final inning of Japan's win over the US in the final.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/world-baseball-classic-shohei-ohtani-awarded-wbc-mvp-after-closing-out-championship-in-japans-win-over-usa/ |title=World Baseball Classic: Shohei Ohtani awarded WBC MVP after closing out championship in Japan's win over USA |first=Mike |last=Axisa |website=CBS Sports |date=March 21, 2023 |access-date=March 24, 2023}}

At the end of each edition of the World Baseball Classic, an all-star team is selected based on their play in the tournament. Three pitchers, eight other position players (one each at each position, including three outfielders), and a designated hitter are named to the team. Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, Puerto Rican catcher Yadier Molina and Puerto Rican shortstop Javier Báez are the only players to be named to the All–WBC team twice. Japanese two-way player Shohei Ohtani is the only player to be named to the All-WBC team at two separate positions, having been named to the 2023 team as both a designated hitter and a pitcher.

Overall, players representing 12 countries have been named to an All-WBC team, with Japan leading the way with 12 representatives.

File:Yadier Molina (cropped).jpg is tied for the most All-WBC Team selections (2)]]

All-time WBC individual leaders in various statistical categories through the end of the 2023 tournament, excluding qualifier games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-all-time-stats-leaders|title=The World Baseball Classic's all-time stat leaders|website=MLB.com}}

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