Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic title for the first time, beating the United States 3-2 in the championship game on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. The victory came after Venezuela's semifinal win over Italy the previous night.
Prior WBC champions are Japan (2006, 2009, 2023), the Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017).[1]
The 2026 tournament's championship round, including semifinals and final, took place March 15-18 at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins.[2][3]
Eduardo Rodriguez, a Venezuelan left-hander who turns 33 in 2026 and recorded a 5.02 ERA over the previous two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, started for Venezuela and pitched 4.1 innings. He allowed one hit, to Brice Turang, walked none and struck out four batters, including Team USA's Aaron Judge twice, on 57 pitches.[4]
Venezuela took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI fly ball by Maikel Garcia. Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox outfielder who played for Venezuela, hit a solo home run in the fifth to make it 3-0.[5]
Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth for the U.S., tying the score at 2-2 after Bobby Witt Jr. walked. Venezuela regained the lead in the ninth on Eugenio Suarez's RBI double following a walk and stolen base by pinch-runner Javier Sanoja.
Daniel Palencia pitched the bottom of the ninth for the save, striking out Kyle Schwarber and Roman Anthony while Gunnar Henderson popped out.
Venezuela's pitchers limited the U.S. to two hits overall.
Sources
- MLB.com
World Baseball Classic history
Ongoing (accessed October 2024)
https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/history - MLB.com
Press release: World Baseball Classic 2026 dates and venues announced
May 10, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-and-venues-announced - MLB.com
loanDepot park
Ongoing
https://www.mlb.com/marlins/ballpark - MLB.com
Eduardo Rodriguez player page
Ongoing (stats through 2024)
https://www.mlb.com/player/eduardo-rodriguez-571151 - MLB.com
Wilyer Abreu player page
Ongoing
https://www.mlb.com/player/wilyer-abreu-681342