Baseball is America’s sport. At least, it used to be.
It’s no secret that Major League Baseball is fueled by international talent and fans. Some of the best players were born internationally: Albert Pujols, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz and Ichiro Suzuki. International fans are also heavily invested in the sport. For example, after Japan-born superstar Shohei Ohtani signed his historic $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, the team exceeded four million fans in attendance for the first time in its history. LA Tourism estimated that in 2024, 80%–90% of Japanese tourists to the city went to Dodger Stadium at least once.
It’s no accident that international players bring in huge audiences, with people across the world tuning in. It’s also no accident that the rise of international baseball coincided with American interventionism. For example, the Dominican Republic, the country most represented on 2025 MLB Opening Day outside of the United States, began playing baseball in earnest after President Woodrow Wilson ordered delegate James Mark Sullivan to “teach Dominicans democracy.” U.S. military teams played against Dominican teams partially in an effort to reinforce American values rather than revolutionary ideology. Now, baseball is a billion-dollar industry for the Dominican Republic.
International fanbases were first addressed directly by MLB in the 1990s, when the league began organizing games at international stadiums. MLB has also negotiated TV deals with international companies so fans can follow their players in the league, sometimes literally — Japanese broadcasts of Dodger games have cameras that track every move Ohtani makes. The most recognizable example of MLB’s globalization efforts is the World Baseball Classic. Started in 2006, the WBC invites qualifying countries across the globe to compete for the title, and every year, millions tune in to watch.
While professional baseball leagues from multiple countries sponsor the tournament, it is still largely an American endeavor. MLB organizes the event, and as a baseball fan, I can confirm that America is often the presumed center of baseball. International players dream of signing in the United States because that is where the money is. As such, there is a prevailing belief in American dominance in the WBC. That belief is unfounded. Team USA has only won the tournament once. This year, we saw on the world stage how this hubris — the belief that America would presumably ‘win it all’ — led to events I would only describe as embarrassing.
In the first round of the 2026 tournament, Team USA beat Mexico for the first time since 2006. The team spent the night celebrating in the locker room, reportedly talking and drinking until past midnight. The next morning, team manager Mike DeRosa incorrectly stated that Team USA would advance to the next round and joked that the team was ‘dragging’ because of the previous night’s partying. During that night’s game against Italy, DeRosa chose to bench many of the team’s best hitters, resulting in a loss. Suddenly, the U.S. was at the mercy of the result of Italy vs. Mexico, a game previously deemed so unimportant that it was supposed to air on Tubi. On the day of the game, it was announced that Fox Sports 1 would take over the broadcast.
Other controversies included Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in MLB, being called unpatriotic for leaving the team after only one appearance, and the entire team being perceived as ambivalent toward the tournament. My personal favorite of these controversies was when Robert J. O’Neill — one of the members of SEAL Team Six that killed Osama bin Laden — gave a speech to the team before its game against the Dominican Republic. Yes, you read that right. And, of course, Team USA lost in the final round to Venezuela.
On a broader level, MLB and the WBC attempted to limit political commentary and focus on baseball. But politics cannot be separated from any aspect of life. If the spread of baseball is tied to political intervention, then the entire game is informed by politics. This was especially evident in Team Venezuela.
Team Venezuela played many of its games in the United States, a country that had just invaded its country and captured its president in an illegal international act. While some Venezuelans have reported positive reactions to the intervention, the U.S. has made no moves to promote democracy in the region, one of its stated justifications. Players and coaches on the Venezuelan team have refused to discuss geopolitical developments. But politics found them anyway. The day before the final game, President Donald Trump posted that Venezuela should become America’s 51st state. He reiterated the statement after Venezuela won, calling for “STATEHOOD!!!”
As someone who cares deeply about baseball and politics, this World Baseball Classic was difficult to watch. At many points, I was ashamed of Team USA, both its performance on the field and its off-field statements. Much of the patriotism (if you can call it that) the team exhibited was tied to American militarism, which sets a horrible precedent for what being American means on an international stage.
International sporting events like the WBC can foster cross-cultural connection, international cooperation and patriotism, but only if we allow them to. In a hostile political climate shaped by the United States’ escalating military threats across the globe, the WBC risks becoming a tournament that highlights hubris instead of player excellence. We must recognize that sports and politics are interconnected and we must thoughtfully deal with the complications that come with that relationship.