As we near the start of MLB’s regular season, fans around the world are blessed to witness something special in the sport.
The World Baseball Classic enters its knockout round Friday evening after a week of pool play reduced the number of countries from 20 to eight. This exhibition gives players from those countries an opportunity to place their talent and their passion for the game on display, leading to some captivating experiences.
“The inclusion of all these different countries is great for the game because it builds the sport in countries where baseball is not as relevant,” wrote Jake Treasure, a junior pitcher for the Mustangs baseball team, in an e-mail. “It also gives opportunities for lesser-known players or prospects to make names for themselves and get opportunities for MLB contracts.”
Team USA barely made it into the final eight after dropping a shocking matchup against Italy, which turned around and defeated Mexico 9-1 Wednesday night, a result that saved the U.S. from elimination. Kansas City Royals’ first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, a New Jersey native, led Italy with three home runs, a first-time fete in WBC history. The U.S. takes on Canada at 8 p.m. on Friday in Houston.
The last iteration in 2023 saw a matchup of two powerhouse teams between Japan and the U.S., where current Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani mowed down Angels center-fielder Mike Trout in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead Japan to a 3-2 victory.
Even in a game expected to go down as an absolute classic, it is moments like these can spark inspiration and attraction to an entire country’s worth of people.
That is what can make a sport like baseball great, and it’s why the 2026 Classic is projected to be a legendary one.
First incorporated in 2006 during former MLB commissioner Bud Selig’s tenure, the WBC intends to grow the American pastime outwards to other regions worldwide, ensuring that the distinct cultures representing the sport shine bright.
Aaron Judge, shown here with the New York Yankees, leads Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Obviously, certain regions may come with stacked rosters compared to some others. For the U.S., the entire pitching staff is world-class, and that’s before you encounter a lineup with names like Yankees CF Aaron Judge, Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber, Mariners C Cal Raleigh, and Orioles SS/3B Gunnar Henderson representing the country.
As you watch every pool game and eventual round robin tournament matchup unfold, one can be exposed to those who might not have as much of a following with their own compelling story to tell.
Junior outfielder Christopher Manco wrote about the pride that different players carry with representing their origins of residence. He also noted the growth that such an event can yield, considering that other club-style sports like soccer have a much greater following overseas than baseball.
There is also a feasibility component to creating a reasonable pool of baseball talent overseas. Some of the best prospects from overseas still had to begin from a very young age and face a multitude of adversity brought about by things outside of their control. Still, they choose to fight for home country and do so alongside familiar faces and newer players alike.
The high-end talent within the pool of players are either fully established or working to cement their legacies in MLB. For the others, the tourney and its global appeal means that all eyes are on them. That mentality can draw some players into a fearful state as they succumb to the pressure, or they can seize the moment and capitalize on an opportunity to advance deeper into the pros.
Yes, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony – now entering his second season in MLB – is a prime example of someone looking to jumpstart a promising career. However, a better example might rest down under, as Travis Bazzana – Australia’s second baseman – is on the fringe of rising up from Cleveland’s Triple-A team up to the Major League Guardians. The rate at which it could happen may be determined by both how he and the Australian team performed.
Whatever does take place, we know that at least one person is going to be tuned in.
“Team Australia has one of my good buddies on their coaching staff,” wrote Matt Righter, Stevenson’s baseball coach, in an email prior to the start of the WBC. “I’ll be rooting for Australia this year when I’m not rooting for the United States!”
It’s safe to say that while this team put forth a valiant effort, they couldn’t survive the sheer amount of star power on their end of the bracket and did not advance to the quarterfinals.
In the WBC, Bazzana slashed at a .250 BA with a .925 OPS and a homer in the first Pool C game against Chinese Taipei. Australia sat at an even 2-2 record without any other potential matches on the docket, as they failed to reach a top-2 finish with the aforementioned Japan roster and Korea securing the requisite 2 seeds in Pool C to advance.
The alliance to the U.S. is fairly natural for this event, as Manco and Treasure also cited they were rooting for the United States. There’s almost an obligation to do so on the end of the latter, and one could imagine that this is how it feels for those supporting the other countries out there. The former emphasized that watching the aforementioned Judge on the national stage is not an opportunity to be passed up, so he’d root for him, too.
Regardless of where your alliances lie, it feels as though there is an agreement on three key points. Great players attract warranted spectacle, and the putout pitch and long ball are two of the most captivating plays in the sport.
Manco and Treasure both cited that the go-ahead Grand Slam from Phillies SS Trea Turner at the top of the eighth that led to a 9-7 U.S. victory over Venezuela in the 2023 WBC was their favorite moment to see unfold.
The sequence can single-handedly change the course of a game in that fashion, and it feels like no matter where you stand, you always give yourself a fighting chance if you can send one deep.
It can also set the tone, akin to how Judge dinged a 2-run shot at over 400+ feet of distance to kick off the U.S. entry in style against Brazil in their first match.
The atmosphere was fitting, seeing as Pool B made home in Houston with the support of home country reeling through most every seat in Daikin Park, awaiting a chance to see greatness.
To this point, the squad had been rolling with the combination of excellent batting as well as solid pitching from a deep rotation. Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, players that Righter looked forward to seeing perform, both had stellar outings in matches against Great Britain and Mexico, especially. The former fanned 7 batters and didn’t give up a run in just 4 innings of work, and every single one was needed to edge past Mexico with a 5-3 score.
Unfortunately, they met their match against Italy in the most recent pool game, losing 8-6 after an early slump saw them allow their 12th run via the long ball in this iteration. They were down as much as 8-0, so a comeback was in the works, but the efforts proved far too late.
The Italy-Mexico game will decide who advances in the pool, as the amount of runs scored are going to be crucial for the tiebreaker. Most people will be watching, and they are going to be in for a show.
Traditionally, the sport has been labeled an American pastime. The game has also seen its fair share of overseas players contribute to the sport and become All-Stars, even Hall of Famers in the case of the most recent inductee, Mariners RF Ichiro Suzuki.
“I specifically remember watching Team Japan and Ichiro Suzuki play in 2009. He was one of my favorite players growing up and was electric in that WBC.”
His reputation precedes him as he became the first Japanese-born player to enter the annals of recorded history in Cooperstown last August. Yet, the contributions there led to a win for the Japanese that can still be referred to all this time.
If you look hard enough, quality baseball can be found anywhere. Exposure may not be as great all over, but the World Baseball Classic grants an opportunity to balance sport and atmospheric setting in ways that can’t be replicated as much.
The lasting image in this event could be a number of things. They could from the Judge homer to the Albies walk-off for the Netherlands, and you could factor in any other one of your favorite players here.
Personally, the Puerto Rican fanbase stands out. To have a game nearly rained out with torrential downpour and still support in as electric of a fashion as possible tells all that one needs to know when considering what these kinds of events can do.
As the NFL’s initiative states, “Por la cultura.”