World Baseball Classic

Start clearing your March 2026 calendar now.

On Wednesday, the World Baseball Classic announced the bracket format, schedule and pools for the 2026 tournament. Each of the four pools will have five teams in it, play will begin on March 5 and the championship game will be on March 17:

Announcing the pools and schedule for the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic!

The opening round starts March 5, quarterfinals start March 13 and the championship round begins March 15! pic.twitter.com/tT5h848dcs

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) August 21, 2024

The United States finds itself in Pool B alongside Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and a qualifier to be determined in the future. Reigning champion Japan is in Pool C with Australia, Korea, Czechia and an open qualifier spot.

The winner and runner-up from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, which begin March 13. The semifinals will take place on March 15 and 16.

Having the tournament in March means Major League Baseball players can participate and not have to worry about missing any of the 2026 regular season. Those who do play will miss time in spring training, but they will still be participating in high-leverage baseball situations that should help them prepare for the upcoming campaign.

American fans will also have plenty of opportunities to see the games, as the Pool B games will take place in Houston.

From there, Miami and Houston will host the quarterfinals games. Miami will also host the semifinal games and the championship clash.

Baseball fans are surely hoping the 2026 tournament is as thrilling as the 2023 one.

There was no shortage of memorable moments, including Adam Jones helping preserve the Americans' 4-2 lead in a win-or-go-home game against the Dominican Republic by robbing Manny Machado of a home run at the wall.

It all built toward the championship game between the United States and Japan, and the ending felt like something from a movie script. Mike Trout stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning with the Americans trailing by a run and a chance to play the hero.

However, his then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani struck him out on a full count to give Japan the title.

It also gave Japan the opportunity to defend its crown in 2026.

The sites for the 2026 World Baseball Classic have been announced, with LoanDepot Park in Miami hosting the championship round.

Major League Baseball announced on Thursday that Miami, San Juan, Tokyo and Houston will host the group stage.

Houston and Miami will host the quarterfinals, with Miami hosting the semifinals and championship game.

San Juan. Houston. Tokyo. Miami.

The #WorldBaseballClassic returns in March 2026! pic.twitter.com/deNIYlEmS1

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) May 23, 2024

This will mark the second consecutive World Baseball Classic where the semifinals and championship will be played at LoanDepot Park.

The 2023 event memorably concluded with Japan defeating the United States 3-2 when then-Los Angeles Angels teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout squared off with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

Tokyo is the only city that has hosted at least one round of the World Baseball Classic since the tournament's inception in 2006. Miami has been a staple of the rotation since 2009.

The 2023 tournament featured a record 20 national teams, an increase of four from the first five WBC events. The 2026 event will also feature 20 clubs, with 16 spots already accounted for by the teams that finished in the top four in pool play in 2023.

Those qualified countries include the United States, Japan, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, South Korea, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Netherlands and Australia.

The final four spots will be determined at qualifying tournaments in 2025. Official details about those events, as well as the start date for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, have not yet been announced.

Japan has won gold at the World Baseball Classic three times in five appearances. The U.S. (2017) and Dominican Republic (2013) are the only other countries that have taken home the title.

The Japanese team has medaled in all five WBC tournaments. The United States, Puerto Rico and South Korea are the only other countries with multiple medals.

Baseball is dying. It's been said many times over the decades, including in this one. Heck, somebody out there is probably saying it right now.

Well, tell it to the World Baseball Classic.

One needs not to have been rooting for Japan to gravitate toward "storybook" as an appropriate adjective for the 2023 WBC. Though, to be sure, it helps. They capped a clean sweep of their seven-game slate with a 3-2 victory over Team USA on Tuesday to win the tournament for the third time in five tries, and how.

It was by way of a stunning walk-off to beat Mexico in the semifinals that Japan even landed in the championship game, wherein all anyone wanted to see was Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout.

That the two MVPs and Los Angeles Angels teammates indeed met each other at all was a treat. That theirs was the game's final matchup was like a miracle wrapped in a marvel, served on a phenomenon.

SHOHEI OHTANI STRIKES OUT MIKE TROUT TO WIN THE #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC! pic.twitter.com/F7vUtIiRR1

— MLB (@MLB) March 22, 2023

"I believe this is the best moment in my life," Ohtani said through an interpreter, according to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, also adding, "I happened to be able to get the MVP, but this really proves that Japanese baseball can beat any team in the world."

Hard feelings? Hardly. Even Trout could acknowledge that "everybody wanted to see" an epic showdown between himself and Ohtani, while USA manager Mark DeRosa cut even more to the heart of the matter.

"This thing is real—the WBC's real," he said. "The whole world got to see Ohtani come in, big spot, battling. It's kind of how it was scripted."

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The Tournament Was a Smashing Success

There typically isn't a whole lot of interest in baseball during the month of March.

Perhaps this is a statement that doesn't need fact-checking, but it's all there on GoogleTrends. Since 2004, baseball-related searches have typically peaked in October and July. And not uncoincidentally, given that the former houses Major League Baseball's playoffs and the latter is when the league's frenzied trade deadline goes down.

This March, however, is different:

Is this all because of the World Baseball Classic? Well, correlation doesn't necessarily equal causation...but yes.

The numbers coming out of the World Baseball Classic paint really are astounding. Take, for example, how just the first round of the WBC saw a 98 percent increase in attendance from the previous iteration six years ago in 2017. Over a million fans showed up, which is more than the Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics drew to their stadiums all year in 2022.

As for TV viewership, the picture there is not yet complete. But courtesy of Front Office Sports, we know that the contest between Japan and Korea on March 10 drew 62 million viewers just in Japan. That's more than the most watched World Series game in history, pointing to the possibility that the final showdown between Japan and Team USA will have drawn even more viewers.

The World Baseball Classic is changing international baseball.

The 2023 WBC has generated record ratings, viewership, attendance, and more. https://t.co/QAE5nSKNCJ

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 18, 2023

All of this is bonkers, and that much more so in context of how the WBC aired on traditional TV in an era of ever-escalating cord cutting.

Maybe there was nothing else to watch. More reasonably, the WBC really was that hard to look away from.

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The World's Best Players, Having the World's Most Fun

It wasn't all good. Freddie Freeman hurting his hamstring sucked. Jose Altuve breaking his thumb sucked even more. Edwin Díaz tearing his ACL sucked the most.

But while such things are indeed responsible for launching a thousand hot takes in the moment, they're probably not going to be what most people remember about the 2023 World Baseball Classic in the long run.

It certainly deserves to be remembered as the most star-studded WBC to date, if for no other reason than it was a proper showcase for the player who actually is the two-way superstar that Babe Ruth only is in legend. Ohtani was a no-brainer for the tournament's MVP award, as his clinching save comes paired with a 1.345 OPS as a hitter and a 1.86 ERA as a pitcher.

That Ohtani was Japan's best player is indisputable, but not to be lost sight of is that they also had an even more accomplished pitcher in Yu Darvish, maybe the best pitcher on earth in Roki Sasaki and, in Munetaka Murakami, a slugger who won the danged triple crown in Nippon Professional Baseball in 2023.

It's also not as if Japan had it easy against this particular version of Team USA. Trout was flanked in the lineup by fellow MLB MVPs Mookie Betts and Paul Goldschmidt, the latter of whom was instrumental in recruiting players for what looked at the outset like an even better club than the one that won the WBC in 2017.

"I feel like the hype is a little bit higher this time around than it was in 2017. There's more guys that want to do it," said Nolan Arenado, who, along with Goldschmidt, also played on the '17 club.

The upping of the ante could be similarly felt with other rosters, including a Dominican Republic squad that at one point had Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rafael Devers and Julio Rodríguez set to anchor "the best lineup ever." Mexico gathered an unfair foursome of starters. Cuba missed out on Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu, but was able to get Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.

And so on and so on down the line until every possible explanation for why this year's tournament felt so incredibly star-studded is covered. And in the end, what really mattered is that it played as such. The games were great and there was something entertaining happening seemingly every other minute.

How about Ohtani dang near hitting his own face with a home run at the Tokyo Dome? Or throwing his fastest pitch ever? Or Joey Meneses with his epic bat flip? Or José De León spearheading a not-quite-perfect game? Or Randy Arozarena striking the perfect pose after robbing a home run? Or the aforementioned walk-off by Murakami? Or Trea Turner hitting not one, not two, not three, not four but five home runs, including the go-ahead grand slam that put Team USA in the semifinals?

Though these moments may have been the main courses of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the tournament wasn't without delightful little appetizers.

At least two people will remember Ohtani getting punched out by a full-time electrician from the Czech Republic and a Nicaraguan right-hander going so hard on Machado, Soto and Rodríguez that the Detroit Tigers signed him up. And for the dozens who showed up to watch, Hall of Famer and Team USA hitting coach Ken Griffey Jr. simply taking batting practice was a sight to behold.

In all, the 2023 World Baseball Classic had plenty to see, lots to like and even more to love.

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The WBC Can Only Get Better

If there's at least one reason to believe that the talent level of the World Baseball Classic can still get higher, it's that Team USA may field an actually balanced team one day. The next time the best American-born starting pitchers partake in the WBC will pretty much be the first.

Beyond that, there's the reality that the sport of baseball is becoming less reliant on America to produce good players.

The simple fact that the USA has won the WBC just once in five tries is perhaps evidence enough of this, but the really compelling stuff lies within the bounds of Major League Baseball. Whereas American-born players used to account for basically all of the good players—defined here with a baseline of 2 WAR—in MLB, that's not the case anymore:

Those blue bars? They're still trending up. That red line? It's trending down. More and more, capable major league players are coming from outside the main arena of the major leagues.

Let there be no mistake that this is a good thing for baseball. It signifies that America's pastime is basically outgrowing America. It may not be there yet, but it's on its way to becoming a global pastime.

Especially after a rendition like the one that a great many people just witnessed, the World Baseball Classic can only help the game continue to grow. And the more that it does, the better it figures to be every time it returns.

To that end, it's not too early to look ahead to 2026.

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Stats courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Japan are 2023 World Baseball Classic champions, defeating the United States 3-2 on Tuesday night at loanDepot Park in Miami.

This is Japan's first title since they captured back-to-back crowns in 2006 and 2009.

TEAM JAPAN WINS THE 2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/ZTi0ebRGnp

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 22, 2023

Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Lars Nootbaar each drove in runs for Japan.

After Trea Turner hit a home run, his fifth of the tournament, to put the Americans up 1-0 in the top of the second inning, Murakami responded with a solo shot of his own in the bottom half to tie the game.

Later that inning, Nootbaar also drove in a run with the bases loaded with a groundout to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

TREA TURNER GIVES TEAM USA A 1-0 LEAD 🇺🇸

(via @mlbonfox)pic.twitter.com/bnZw5dalY2

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2023

MUNETAKA MURAKAMI ANSWERS RIGHT BACK 😳

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/sNXeaAb1Vc

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 21, 2023

Japan takes the lead 🇯🇵

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/IAXUHpGNhr

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 22, 2023

Japan extended its lead in the fourth inning on a home run by Okamoto. His solo shot proved to be the game-winner.

Japan jumps out to a 3-1 lead over USA 😳

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/Xkf6mDpQ19

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2023

The Americans struggled to get any momentum going throughout the game, though Kyle Schwarber breathed some life into the United States with a home run against Yu Darvish in the top of the eighth inning, cutting Japan's lead to 3-2.

Kyle Schwarber with a solo BLAST 💥

USA cuts Japan's lead to 1 👀

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/buBREF1r0Z

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2023

The entrance of Shohei Ohtani on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning all but signaled the end of the game. While Jeff McNeil worked a walk off the two-way phenom, Mookie Betts grounded into a double play.

The final matchup in the World Baseball Classic came down to Ohtani and Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels teammates who are some of the best players in the game.

Ohtani struck out Trout on a full count to clinch the gold medal for Japan in what was one of the most electric moments of the entire tournament.

SHOHEI STRIKES OUT MIKE TROUT TO WIN THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 😱🔥

(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/Iiu0ykPQ37

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2023

After the win, fans praised Ohtani and Japan for their brilliant performance against a United States roster full of Major League Baseball's biggest stars:

Ohtani is the best player our game has to offer and he just showed the entire world in this WBC. A talent our game has never seen. Congrats to Team Japan.

— Chris Bassitt (@C_Bass419) March 22, 2023

Give Ohtani a billion dollars. Mythical unicorn god on the baseball field!

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 22, 2023

Shohei Ohtani is the face of baseball and I think that's pretty cool

— Frank Piscani 🤌 (@frankpiscani) March 22, 2023

Athletes I’ll tell my kids about watching

- Patrick Mahomes
- Steph Curry
- Shohei Ohtani

— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) March 22, 2023

I mean like every week the Ohtani GOAT argument just gets more and more obvious

— Josh Landes (@JoshLandesWAMC) March 22, 2023

Smoltz is right. Ohtani is already one of the greatest players of all-time. He’s had a moment. He’s elevated in the zeitgeist. Baseball knocked other sports out of the headlines in March. Macro arguments against the event are crazy.

— Jeremy Gray (@IUJGray) March 22, 2023

There is no baseball player on the planet like Shohei Ohtani. Honestly, right now, no one touches this dude.🦄

— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) March 22, 2023

Not sure this is even a remotely hot take anymore.

Shohei Ohtani is the most talented baseball player ever. Argue with a wall.

— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) March 22, 2023

Barry Bonds was the greatest hitter/fielder/baserunner I ever saw. But Shohei Ohtani's ability to hit AND pitch is beyond Babe Ruth. The young man at 28 is already LEGENDARY.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 22, 2023

We’ve never seen anything remotely close to Shohei. Global face of baseball. Amazing. WBC was incredible #Ohtani

— Jason Berken (@JasonBerken) March 22, 2023

The World Baseball Classic ended tonight with Japan winning 3-2 v. USA, staving off a late inning comeback by our boys. The final out was Shohei Ohtani striking out his fellow Angels teammate (and one of the greatest players ever) Mike Trout to seal it.

Baseball is beautiful.

— Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) March 22, 2023

That was the most entertaining “mEaNiNgLeSs” tournament I’ve ever watched 😂😅 #WBC 🇺🇸🇯🇵

— Brandon Crawford (@bcraw35) March 22, 2023

Pretty cool matchup to end the @WBCBaseball The tournament was fantastic and hopefully there our kids all over the world dreaming of wearing their countries colors while playing this amazing game! Kudos to everyone involved.

P.S. #MasaForMVP ⚾️

— Justin Turner (@redturn2) March 22, 2023

The fact that the match up happened like that was that the cherry on top. Damn. That’s how it supposed to be. Baseball, you beautiful game!

— Trevor May (@IamTrevorMay) March 22, 2023

What an incredible way to finish off the #WorldBaseballClassic! Congrats to Samurai Japan on winning the championship!! The 🦄 is unreal! Super proud of Team USA also. Baseball is the Best! 🇺🇸🇯🇵⚾️

— Mark Gubicza (@Markgubicza) March 22, 2023

Ohtani was also named the World Baseball Classic MVP for his efforts throughout the tournament. He hit .435 with four doubles, one home run and eight RBI, in addition to posting a 1.86 ERA, 11 strikeouts, two wins and a save in 9.2 innings.

Additionally, Japan is just the second team in World Baseball Classic history to go undefeated in the tournament. The Dominican Republic accomplished the feat in 2013.

With the 2023 World Baseball Classic having been nothing but a success for the game, fans and players can't wait until it's back in 2026.

Mike Trout is enjoying his time at the World Baseball Classic as a member of Team USA. So much so, in fact, that he's already committed to the next tournament in 2026.

"I already told them I am doing the next one. I am already in," he said on the FS1 broadcast Tuesday. "If I'm DHing, playing left field, whatever they want, I'm in, I'm in. And I think that's coming from all the guys. Talking to them, just how proud we are wearing that across our chest, and just coming out here in the ninth inning and hearing the 'USA' chants, it's special, man."

"I already told them I am doing the next one. I am already in... Whatever they want, I'm in."@MikeTrout verbally commits to playing in the 2026 WBC 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/jOVbGMlz46

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 21, 2023

Trout and the United States are facing Japan in the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday night. The run to the final has been meaningful for the U.S. players.

The lineups for the #WorldBaseballClassic final are here!

Who has the edge? pic.twitter.com/jtvZwif1wA

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 21, 2023

"These guys are the best at what they do, they're ultimate competitors, and in an environment like that there is 100 percent buy-in," manager Mark DeRosa told reporters. "It just happens organically. And to represent your country, it means the world. Maybe it doesn't start out that way, but I mean, it has become that. These guys want it."

And Trout wants it in 2026, too.

He isn't alone—the 2023 iteration has been a rousing success, and an incredibly fun event for players and fans alike:

The battle for the WBC crown ends tonight 👑 pic.twitter.com/xQRUOwF260

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) March 21, 2023

It's hard to overlook the injuries to a couple of stars but I can't think of another event that's engendered more emotion & excitement for baseball than the WBC. Seeing stars who sleepwalk through the MLB season display some genuine passion for the game has been so much fun.

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) March 21, 2023

Gleyber Torres: "I don't know how a World Series feels in New York; I think it's awesome too. But the WBC is amazing. It's another level. Many Latin players, many Latin people. The crowd, the fans, the energy when you play in those situations -- it's just unreal."

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 21, 2023

“It’s ok to love the World Baseball Classic and Major League Baseball simultaneously. These are not two things that are competing against one another, they’re two things that should be symbiotic.” - @JeffPassan

📺 https://t.co/i14GUkFxfp pic.twitter.com/dMlctfe8pA

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) March 21, 2023

I know this is supposed to be a football account, but the World Baseball Classic has been one of the most emotionally intense sporting events in my adult life. Olympics/World Cup epic stage stuff. Try to catch the Japan/USA final tonight unless baseball bores you to death

— Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) March 21, 2023

A subset of baseball fans doesn't enjoy the WBC because of the potential injury risk it poses for players, which in turn could impact the MLB season. That was the case for some New York Mets fans after Edwin Díaz was likely lost for the 2023 campaign with a torn right patellar tendon.

"It was heartbreaking," Francisco Lindor, Díaz's teammate with both Puerto Rico and the Mets, told reporters. "I never knew I loved Edwin so much until I couldn't stop crying. And that's when I realized I loved Edwin a lot. It's one of those moments that you wish you could go back and kind of do it in slow motion that way no one goes through that. It broke my heart. It did not feel good. Edwin kind of calmed the team a little bit. He talked to us after the game. It was a very, very sad clubhouse."

Despite that moment, however, the WBC has been a dramatic and fun event and one that, on balance, has been excellent for the sport of baseball. It should come as no surprise that Trout wants to run it back in three years.

Japan's thrilling 6-5 walk-off win over Mexico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic semifinals has opened the door for Shohei Ohtani to potentially pitch against the United States in the final.

Speaking to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports via an interpreter after Monday's victory, Ohtani said he will "definitely be prepared" to take the mound if he's asked to do so.

"I will definitely be prepared to pitch wherever, but before that I am going to have to hit and make sure I put some runs on the board before I pitch."

Shohei Ohtani spoke with @Ken_Rosenthal after Japan's WILD walk-off winner 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/TFeGJCDqhO

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 21, 2023

If Ohtani does pitch in Tuesday's game, it would be in a relief role. His most recent appearance as a pitcher was in Japan's 9-3 quarterfinal victory over Italy on March 16.

The 2021 American League MVP allowed two runs with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings. He threw 71 pitches in the game.

Shota Imanaga is expected to get the start for the Japanese team. The left-hander has made two appearances in the tournament thus far, allowing one earned run in four innings.

Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama was asked before Monday's semifinal game if there was a chance Ohtani could pitch if his team advanced: "I won't say it's a zero," he told reporters via translator.

The Japanese team has dominated the tournament thus far. They advanced through the group stage with a perfect 4-0 record and outscored their opponents 38-8.

Monday marked the first time in the World Baseball Classic that Japan hasn't won by at least six runs. Mexico led most of the way after taking a 3-0 lead on Luis Urías' three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida tied the game with his own three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Mexico got two runs in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead.

After scoring one run in the bottom of the eighth, Japan got the win on Munetaka Murakami's walk-off two-run double in the ninth. Ohtani started the rally with a leadoff double.

If Ohtani does pitch against Team USA, it opens up the possibility he could face his Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout in a high-leverage situation late in the game.

The World Baseball Classic final between Japan and the United States will take place at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

Throughout Monday's 2023 World Baseball Classic semifinal game between Mexico and Japan, it looked like Mexico was well on its way to an appearance in the championship game, which would've set up a rematch against Team USA.

However, Japan pulled off a 6-5 victory on a walk-off two-run double by Munetaka Murakami that scored Ukyo Shuto and Shohei Ohtani. The win pits arguably the two best teams in the tournament against one another in Tuesday's championship game.

Ohtani will see his Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout across the diamond when Japan faces Team USA. Japanese starting pitcher Yu Darvish will face many of the batters he faces as the ace of the San Diego Padres staff.

The last-second win and the impending matchup between Team USA and Japan excited fans on Twitter:

JAPAN WALKS IT OFF TO ADVANCE TO WBC FINALS ‼️🇯🇵

UNREAL.

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/6UwqTSuGbv

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2023

It'll be Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani battling for the World Baseball Classic championship tomorrow night.

That was a helluva finish.

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) March 21, 2023

Japan is moving on to play Team USA. An absolute stunner here.

— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) March 21, 2023

From the goes-without-saying-but-I'm-going-to-say-it-anyway department:

USA-Japan tomorrow in the World Baseball Classic final is going to be absolutely electric.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 21, 2023

That game was amazing. The WBC has been so entertaining. Can’t wait for tomorrow night. 🇺🇸 🇯🇵

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) March 21, 2023

Yu Darvish v Team USA? I'll take that on a Tuesday night in March.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 21, 2023

TROUT vs. OHTANI omg

— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) March 21, 2023

This is going to come down to Shohei Ohtani facing Mike Trout with the game on the line in the ninth inning, right?

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 21, 2023

Trout and Ohtani playing for a championship. Only in the WBC!

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) March 21, 2023

Cancel any plans you have for tomorrow night.

USA vs Japan for the WBC Title. It’s gonna be absolute 🔥🔥🔥🔥

— The Degenerates (@degen_betting) March 21, 2023

The WBC is awesome. USA vs. Japan tomorrow. CAN’T WAIT!!!

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) March 21, 2023

JAPAN VS USA!!!!!

— Mike Bacsik (@MikeBacsik) March 21, 2023

Japan will face Team USA in the championship game tomorrow.

It's the matchup everyone wanted to see. How they got here...wow.

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) March 21, 2023

USA vs Japan in the WBC championship!!

Incredible baseball!!

— Savage (@SavageSports_) March 21, 2023

Holy cow holy cow holy cow.

Japan walk-off win! They will play USA in the finals tomorrow

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) March 21, 2023

Wow. Japan with the walk-off, setting up a championship game with Team USA. This is not meaningless baseball.

— Jason Foster (@ByJasonFoster) March 21, 2023

TEAM JAPAN WINS! A WALK OFF WIN! 🇯🇵

It will be Team USA vs Team Japan in the Final! Woooooooooow!

— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) March 21, 2023

Team USA is going for its second straight WBC title following its 2017 victory. The last team to go back-to-back was Japan in 2006 and 2009.

It's clear that Tuesday's championship game will produce fireworks that will cap off an exciting international tournament.

Cuban baseball player Iván Prieto González defected from his home country when he didn't board the team flight to Havana on Monday, according to the Miami Herald's Jorge Ebro.

Cuba's World Baseball Classic run came to an end Sunday with a 14-2 loss to the United States at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Prieto served as a bullpen catcher during the tournament.

Ebro reported the Cuban players were scheduled to fly out of Miami International Airport to return home on Monday, and when they did, Prieto was absent.

The 26-year-old played seven seasons for Sabuesos de Holguín and Alazanes de Granma in the Cuban National Series. He batted .291 with 13 home runs and 102 RBI in 257 games.

A number of baseball players have defected from Cuba over the years, either to pursue an MLB career or simply to leave their homeland behind.

Toward the final years of his time in office, President Barack Obama sought to ease diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. President Donald Trump didn't maintain that policy upon assuming the Oval Office.

In April 2019, President Trump canceled a deal between MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation that opened a formal pipeline between the two. The agreement would've allowed Cuban players to compete in MLB without having to defect.

In October 2021, 11 players defected during the U23 Baseball World Cup in Mexico.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic will forever be known as the time Trea Turner took over the world.

Well, maybe he didn't go that far, but the star shortstop continued to shine bright on the international stage as Team USA advanced to the championship game. Turner went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI to lead a 14-2 rout over Cuba in Sunday's semifinal matchup at loanDepot Park in Miami.

Turner's stellar outing continues a magical run after he hit a go-ahead grand slam in Saturday's quarterfinal win over Venezuela. The 29-year-old now has four home runs in the tournament, the most ever by an American player at the World Baseball Classic. He also joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only player in team history with a multi-home run game at the WBC.

Fans on Twitter were amazed by Turner's scorching bat after he extended his hot streak on Sunday:

Trea Turner homers AGAIN!

USA 12, Cuba 2.

"M-V-P! M-V-P!" is the chant from fans behind the U.S. dugout. @MLBNetwork @USABaseball @Phillies @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 20, 2023

TREA TURNER PUTTING THE WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY ON HIS BACK THIRD BOMB IN 24 HOURS pic.twitter.com/2sHapvVqkn

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner right now: pic.twitter.com/PGVEEvI30a

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) March 20, 2023

TREA TURNER EN FUEGO! 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/0X6gm1T6Gr

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 20, 2023

TREA TURNER HOMERED AGAIN THIS IS A NEW TWEET

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 20, 2023

My goodness, Trea Turner.

— Jerry Blevins (@jerryblevins) March 20, 2023

TREA TURNER

2nd multi-HR game in Team USA WBC history, joining:

3/10/2006 Ken Griffey Jr.

THE HITTING COACH!!!!

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner deserves to be on the 100 dollar bill.

— Apollo Dez (@ApolloDez1) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner is on another planet right now WOW

— Kelsey Wingert-Linch (@KelsWingert) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner for President

— Mighty Goat (@ItsMightyGoat) March 20, 2023

I don’t know what has gotten into Trea Turner but I LOVE it.

— Kade Kistner (@KadeKistner) March 20, 2023

Save some for the regular season, Trea Turner!!!!

— John Foley (@2008Philz) March 20, 2023

https://twitter.com/Thomas_Carrieri/status/1637632212538388481

if a pitch is served to turner, does the homer become an en-trea

— jen ramos eisen 🇵🇭🍉 (@jenmacramos) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner for President of the United States pic.twitter.com/B6nUUYpzLo

— Peter Appel (@peterappel23) March 20, 2023

https://twitter.com/ryansbergara/status/1637632135141130241

Trea Turner with his 3rd HR in the last two days for a 12-2 lead in the sixth. #WorldBaseballClassic

— Julian Guilarte (@JulianGuilarte1) March 20, 2023

TEAM USA Trea Turner is the best player in the game’s history

— Jahmal (@JahmalKennedy) March 20, 2023

https://twitter.com/jay_jaffe/status/1637632009383337984

#SweetFancyMoses, Trea.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner needs a two-run shot for a two-day home run cycle.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) March 20, 2023

Trea Turner’s 4 HR are the most by a Team USA player in a single WBC

and tied with 2017 Wladimir Balenien (NED) and 2006 Adrian Beltre (DOM) for 2nd-most overall in a single WBC, behind only:

2006 Seung Yuop Lee (KOR): 5 https://t.co/dwBOTmr8ry

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 20, 2023

Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason. If he plays this way during the 2023 season, he will give Philadelphia a strong chance of returning to the World Series for the second straight year.

For now, Turner will remain focused on bringing home a second consecutive WBC title. Team USA will face the winner of Monday's semifinal between Mexico and Japan in the championship game on Tuesday night.

Daniel Bard's difficult outing against Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday only felt worse after the Rockies pitcher hit José Altuve with a pitch that fractured his thumb.

While his team got the win, Bard said he felt awful about the incident and is hoping the former MVP is able to get back to action soon.

"I feel terrible,'' Bard told Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. "I was going sinker-in for a swing. I missed up and in. You just hate to see it. You saw my reaction.''

"He's a great player. You want to see great players on the field, even if I have to play against him. I want to play against the best. I wish him, hopefully, a quick recovery. I know it will be a minute.''

Astros general manager Dana Brown announced Sunday that Altuve's injury requires surgery, and there is no timeline for his return. The procedure will take place sometime over the next few days.

It'll obviously be a huge loss for the reigning World Series champions, as Altuve hit .322 with a .921 OPS last season.

Meanwhile, Bard will try to bounce back from a rough night, as he struggled with control issues beyond Altuve's at-bat. The 37-year-old faced four batters, throwing 17 pitches while allowing a hit, walking two batters and throwing two wild pitches.

He surrendered four runs and watched a 5-2 American lead turn into a 6-5 deficit in the fifth inning. Luckily for him, some clutch hitting from Trea Turner sent USA through to the semifinals.