At the end of every Olympics, it’s pretty standard operating procedure for the IOC to preside over the closing ceremony with an empty suit and declare these to be the greatest Olympics ever.
Well, that might not be a stretch for the sixth World Baseball Classic, an event that is undeniably on the rise but also hinges on the action between the lines.
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Suffice it to say, it was fantastic, with Venezuela performing well in all knockout games, ensuring the competition didn’t come to a head in the semi-finals against the United States against the Dominican Republic.
No, going out last was a good thing, redefining the narrative of players, teams, countries and the tournament itself. Next, let’s take a look at the winners and losers of this WBC:
Winner
The legitimacy of the WBC
Even the most grumpy fans have to admit that this event is very compelling. At the same time, while the games may be exciting, the stakes may feel a little empty: Players are choosing not to participate, insurance issues have knocked other stars out, and pitchers have been in and out of the team (is Jeff Hoffman accepting a silver medal?) reminding us that this is actually the middle of spring training.
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But Venezuela’s narrow 3-2 victory over the United States in the tournament was all legal – because that’s how Venezuelans play.
Their bullpen had to go 7 2/3 innings to defeat Italy in the semifinals the night before. However, with no days off, relievers Eduard Bazardo, Angel Zerpa, Andres Machado and Danny Palencia performed back-to-back assignments in October mode, even though it was already mid-March.
This is bound to be bad for the body and we wish these young people all the best for the future. However, by working out the details and getting approval from the relay’s major league club and managing the game of his lifetime, Venezuelan coach Omar Lopez has added significant leverage to the event.
Villier Abreu
WBC MVP Maikel Garcia was no slouch, but Abreu turned the tide for the WBC with one swing of the bat against Japan in the quarterfinals – hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning to turn Venezuela from a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead.
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Beating the defending champion and three-time champion wasn’t easy, but Abreu’s shot on Japanese reliever Hiromi Ito changed the face of the tournament forever. Venezuela surged into the championship game, where Abreu hit a home run off Nolan McLean to give them a 2-0 lead and a 3-2 win.
Abreu is a very good all-around player who won two Gold Gloves with the Boston Red Sox, and last year he had a 3.2 WAR in just 373 games. At the age of 27, it is no exaggeration to say that a star is born.
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They were everywhere in this game – from the heroics of Venezuela’s García Garcia and the gravitas of Salvi Perez, to the show-stopping performances of Team USA’s Bobby Witt Jr. and the long passes, coffee pours and cheek kisses of Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino and Jacques Caglianoni.
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Perhaps there’s no bigger beneficiary of the WBC than Caglione, who’s going 4-for-14 with a .500 OBP in five games. Few players possess more power, but Cagliano was plagued by too many swings and misses a year ago. Maybe this is a good springboard for his sophomore season.
Roman Anthony
It was a great game for the Red Sox outfield. Anthony hit a game-winning home run in the epic semifinals against the Dominican Republic, earning All-Tournament honors with two homers, seven RBIs and a .920 OPS. Perhaps more importantly, the 21-year-old was designated the “rookie” on Team USA, forced to buy and lug an oversized radio and, we imagine, some cold drinks.
However, it was the right environment for Anthony, who reunited with Alex Bregman for a few weeks while also meeting a dozen older brothers from whom he could draw knowledge.
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Anthony is going to be a superstar. Being around talent like this – and making a difference – will only speed up the process.
canadian team
Shockingly, they had never emerged from pool play in the previous four editions of the WBC, especially since Canada typically trails the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in supplying major league players.
However, the curse was broken as the WBC blue blood team Cuba advanced to the quarter-finals. They gave Team USA a major scare before losing 5-3 in the semifinals.
With more and more young talent joining the ranks of the Naylor brothers and other stalwarts – imagine Jonah Tong becoming the next WBC ace – this should be just the beginning of Canada’s rise.
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ABS challenge system
Maybe you’re on the fence about this, as full implementation begins next week at Opening Day. Maybe after the WBC semifinals you’ll be more willing to appreciate its advantages.
loser
Team USA
There’s no getting around it: when the rest of the world is having the time of their lives and you’re as tight-lipped and taciturn as a drill sergeant, the only acceptable outcome is championship. When every other country is Spongebob, it’s not worth playing Squidward unless you win the gold medal.
However, we will not delve too deeply into psychoanalysis. This is baseball, single-elimination baseball, no less, and the results may not necessarily reflect the deeper narrative.
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But they say if you feel good, you’ll play well. Almost every time the Fox cameras pan to the Team USA dugout, no one seems to be feeling good.
Mark DeRosa
His LinkedIn can go one of two ways:
Led Team USA to back-to-back championship games.
Or: losing back-to-back gold medal games by one point.
Hey, it’s tough to lead the greatest global talent this side of Santo Domingo in a finicky pool match and three elimination games with only one acceptable result. It’s also unenviable to juggle egos and expectations while also tending to the whims and concerns of dozens of major league teams who care more about a game in Yolo County in mid-May than the WBC. And keep up with what’s going on in the tiebreaker.
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Aaron Judge
Judge wasn’t the playoff loser that many thought he was (the left-field foul pole at Yankee Stadium may still be ringing in the ALDS). However, the man was named captain of this team, and while he did knock down a pair of long balls, his performance was minimal when it mattered most – one run in eight at-bats and five strikeouts in the semifinals and championship game.
Likewise, snippets of his social media speeches to his team may not be indicative of his leadership in a macro sense. Still, he was the tone-setter on a team whose atmosphere felt uncomfortable — despite the team insisting to one person that they enjoyed being around everyone.
real.
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The WBC’s greatest strength is the big-tent atmosphere – from working-class Czech teams to star-studded Club America, there’s something for everyone in this 20-team marketplace.
That’s what makes a six-team Olympics feel less inclusive.
There would be no Canada and Puerto Rico, to name just two – Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, and the United States, as the host nation, would occupy the Americas portion. It already feels small, even if the major leagues are less affected by pitch counts and other restrictions.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WBC winners and losers: 2026 is the best World Baseball Classic ever
