Drama. Emotion. National pride. Electric crowds, particularly at loanDepot park. High stakes. Big names. Bigger moments. All in March, no less, a gift amid the dullest days of spring training, when everyone is biding time until Opening Day. Sure, there are lingering, somewhat unsolvable issues in terms of club restrictions, prohibitive pitching rules and, to a new degree this time, insurance troubles, but really, the main problem with the WBC right now is that there isn’t going to be another one until 2029 or 2030, depending on a number of factors.

A tremendous final, won 3-2 by first-time champion Venezuela over the United States on Eugenio Suarez’s RBI double in the ninth, right after Bryce Harper’s two-run homer in the eighth tied it up, capped 2½ weeks of baseball that showcased the best of what the sport has to offer. 

“It’s hard to explain right now,” Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez said of winning for his country. “I just want to cry because I’ve got so many memories. I’m so happy right now.”

Surrounded by a strong majority of the 36,190 who turned loanDepot park into an extended party Tuesday night, he was far from the only one. Venezuelan fans sang and danced and partied in the stands long after the medals were handed out and the players posed for pictures on the WBC-shaped dais.

Even after they cleared out, the Venezuelans continued to celebrate on the first-base side of the field while the American players and their families milled about on the third-base side, taking in their own moments.

Like Canada in international hockey, the United States enters each Classic expected to win, and after being accused of not taking early editions of the event seriously enough, they’ve gone to three straight finals, beating Puerto Rico in 2017 before falling to Japan in 2023 by the same 3-2 score as against Venezuela.

Harper’s two-run drive in the eighth, following Bobby Witt Jr.’s two-out walk off Andres Machado, briefly raised American hopes. But they were dashed almost immediately as Luis Arraez opened the top of the ninth versus Garrett Whitlock with a walk, pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second by a hair and Suarez doubled him home, an advantage Daniel Palencia, the fourth Venezuelan reliever pitching on back-to-back days, closed it out.

The way the Venezuelans locked down both Monday’s 4-2 semifinal win over Italy and the final over the Americans will be closely watched, too, as Angel Zerpa (13 and 15 pitches), Eduard Bazardo (nine and 12), Andres Machado (nine and 18) and Daniel Palencia (15 and 11) combined for 3.2 innings twice on consecutive days.

Given the caution around pitching in the tournament, it’s no surprise that manager Omar Lopez awoke Wednesday morning to three text messages from big-league clubs asking not to have their relievers pitch on back-to-back days. But “one of my strengths is talk and I send my text back fighting for my guys and then set a phone call with everybody,” he said. “When you talk and you get an agreement, you negotiate it, everything is going to go well.”

In contrast, American counterpart Mark DeRosa said he didn’t turn to Mason Miller in the ninth because he was “honouring” the wishes of the San Diego Padres that the right-hander only be used in a save situation. The U.S. team also agreed with the Boston Red Sox that Whitlock would get the ball in a tie game, underlying how complicated decision-making can be.

“For them to battle (Tuesday) night against Italy, for them to use their entire bullpen, and those guys to come back out on no rest was pretty special to watch,” said DeRosa.

No doubt, and combined with 4.1 shutout innings from starter Eduardo Rodriguez, the Arizona Diamondbacks lefty coming off a middling season after a shoulder injury marred his 2024, they’re a big reason why Venezuela holds the reins.

Until when isn’t clear.

The timing for the next Classic is up in the air, in part because baseball’s labour deal expires after the season and the players will have a say, in part because Major League Baseball could take part in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and there’s debate over whether it makes sense for the Classic to follow the next spring, or wait until 2030 instead.

Regardless, that the Americans only reached this point thanks to an Italian victory over Mexico to cap off opening-round play in Pool B highlights the volatility that exists in tournament play. Under the right circumstances, a Mexico win over Italy would have eliminated the U.S. before the quarterfinals, where they just squeaked by a Canadian team felled by a couple of defensive mistakes in a 5-3 final.

In the semis, they met a stacked Dominican Republic team that beat all its opposition, Venezuela included, until a 2-1 loss to the Americans.

“You’re either hot or not in a seven-game blast like this,” said DeRosa.

The Venezuelans, like the Dominicans, were hot and their outward joy — exemplified by their pre-game dugout dances — is one of the tournament’s signatures. So too are the grace of the Italians, with their espresso shots after homers; the passion of the Puerto Ricans and their post-game prayer circle; and the tenacity of the hockey-jersey-clad Canadians, all part of what makes this event so endearing. 

Outside the strict confines of Major League Baseball culture, each national team brings its people together and does baseball the way it’s done back home, instead of conforming to American norms. With their countrymen, they are not the others they are in the majors, so each game, each victory, especially the ultimate one, hits a little differently.

“The World Series is the most important championship in the major leagues, but when you fight for your country, that goes beyond,” said catcher Salvador Perez, who singled and scored on Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly in the third to open the scoring. “That feeling, the country where you were born and raised, the sacrifices made by our parents, those people that helped us, that’s why this means a lot to me and to Venezuela.”

The United States players, in contrast, are more reflective of a big-league vibe and it makes sense because the big leagues are the standard they not only grew up with but also helped set. Everyone else comes to America — they actually are America.

“I credit the Latin American countries, I credit Japan, I credit the other countries for kind of forcing the United States’ hand to kind of get in on this,” said DeRosa, who also played for the U.S. in 2009. “To see it grow has been incredible.”

In that way, growth is a product of what happens when everyone shows up in a global sandbox and differences aren’t tamped down but celebrated. The power of that experience is why the calibre of talent at each tournament keeps rising, as players keep seeing how much fun others are having and don’t want to miss out. 

Now, it’s back to reality, as both the Venezuelans and Americans rejoin their teams and refocus on the season ahead, with Opening Day a week-and-a-half away.

“Obviously it gives me a lot of motivation, especially because last year we felt like we could have won and unfortunately it didn’t come our way,” Gimenez said of platforming off a WBC title. “A lot of motivation, and I know with the Blue Jays we’ve got a really big chance to get it done.”

This World Baseball Classic did get it done, and maybe it will turn the conversation on the next one, too.

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Other players from the Americans’ $320 million roster stood frozen for several minutes before receiving their silver medals. Bryce Harper, who hit a tying homer in the eighth inning, went over to shake hands with Team Venezuela players before leaving the field.

“In those moments, it’s like the Olympics or anywhere else,” Harper said. “I’m really happy for them. Obviously, I want to win no matter what. That’s what I play for, is to win a championship and a goal medal. But in that moment it’s not about me, it’s about us and our game.”

Team USA brought its most loaded roster ever to baseball’s premier international event, but the Americans lost their second straight WBC final after winning the championship in 2017.

“Obviously disappointed,” Judge said. “All of us put on this uniform to go out there and win a gold medal. We fell short of that.”

The U.S. produced just three hits Tuesday night and four runs over the final two games of the WBC — well short of offensive expectations for a roster of players who combined for 382 home runs and 1,111 RBIs last MLB season.

Three years after losing to Shohei Ohtani and Japan in 2023, the Americans were again disappointed, this time by an energetic Venezuelan team led by All-Stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez mowed down the Americans’ fearsome lineup with measured ease on Tuesday, leaving the colourful celebration to his teammates who met him with claps as he stoically exited the mound in the fifth.

Rodríguez fanned Judge — the U.S. captain went 0 for 4 — twice among four strikeouts and held the Americans to just one hit over 4 1/3 innings.

“I’m not going to make any excuses for us,” said United States manager Mark DeRosa. “I think at the end of the day … it’s early in spring training. Guys are getting ready for the season. Eventually I think the tournament gets moved and I think the guys are in better form pitching-wise.

“But ultimately it’s who gets hot at the right time, who gets a big swing.”

The Americans have won just one title in six iterations of the tournament. DeRosa indicated that the U.S., which has received more buy-in from marquee MLB position players over the years, is still lacking the same commitments from star pitchers.

Reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal participated this year but made just one start in pool play in order to stick with his ramp-up schedule for the regular season with the Detroit Tigers.

“I think every position player wants to play in it,” DeRosa said. “I think from a pitching standpoint, everybody’s at different stages in their career. You’ve got to get buy-in from the team. You’ve got to get buy-in from the player. You’ve got to get buy-in from the agent. I think everybody in their heart … wants to do it. It’s just, what’s the timing of where they are at in their career?”

Venezuela’s bullpen gave up only two hits, including Harper’s two-run homer over the centre-field fence against Andrés Machado in the eighth.

Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s throw, then came home on Eugenio Suárez double. Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

It signaled another brutal finish could be coming for the U.S., which lost the 2023 WBC title game when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to win it for Japan.

The American roster was made up of players who have combined for more than 2,300 home runs and 419 saves, and nine of them have played in a World Series.

But they never quite displayed the full extent of their offensive firepower. They hit .250 over seven games with 44 runs, 10 homers and 40 RBIs.

DeRosa said he was surprised by the lack of offense “because of the names at the back of the jersey, but not surprised because of where they’re at in spring training.”

“That’s my answer,” he added. “I really don’t have a rhyme or reason to why. I just think you’re either hot or not in a seven-game blast like this.”

After the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the semifinals, DeRosa said he was still waiting for his team to break loose at the plate.

That will have to wait another three years.

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After Venezuela wrapped up a 4-2 win over Italy in Monday’s semifinal, manager Omar Lopez told reporters that Rodriguez will take the ball against the United States in Tuesday’s final (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+).

It will be Rodriguez’s second appearance of the tournament after the 32-year-old started against the Dominican Republic in the round robin. In that game, Rodriguez took the loss, allowing three hits and three runs over 2.2 innings of work. He did, however, record five strikeouts, as well.

The 10-year MLB veteran is coming off a 2025 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, in which he carried a 5.02 ERA over 154.1 innings.

On the other side of the matchup, the U.S. will send Nolan McLean to the mound, who will also be looking to bounce back for his country.

In his pool-stage start against Italy, McLean struck out four over 3.0 innings, but allowed three runs on two hits — both homers — which led him to the loss.

McLean burst onto the MLB scene for the New York Mets last summer. The 24-year-old right-hander became a stabilizing force for a struggling Mets rotation down the stretch, posting a 2.06 ERA and 57 strikeouts across eight starts and 48.0 innings.

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The Americans will wear game-worn Olympic hockey sweaters from the gold-medal winning U.S. men’s hockey team to Miami’s LoanDepot Park for Tuesday’s WBC final against Venezuela, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.

The move mirrors what the Canadian men’s baseball team did before the WBC quarterfinals against the U.S., as the whole team was gifted jerseys from Hockey Canada before the game.

Canadian captain Josh Naylor also made it a habit of wearing a different Canada jersey to practice throughout the tournament, including Jarome Iginla and Paul Kariya sweaters.

Unfortunately for the Canadians, like the men’s hockey team in the Olympic gold-medal game, they fell short against the Americans and were ousted in the quarterfinals.

After defeating Canada, the U.S. went on to win a thriller against a high-powered Dominican Republic team in the semis to set up Tuesday’s final against Venezuela.

You can watch the conclusion of the WBC live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

“We are no longer the Cinderella,” the Italy manager said after the Azzurri were eliminated with a 4-2 semifinal loss to Venezuela on Monday night. “In three years they are going to take us seriously. We have a group of young players that are going to participate in the next classic. What they experienced today, they are going to take it away for the rest of their lives.”

The Azzurri stunned with a 5-0 start to reach their first WBC semifinal, putting a spotlight on a soccer-crazed country where baseball is less popular than in many other participating WBC nations. Players spoke of providing an exciting foundation for future growth and success.

“To play in front of all these crowds and just how loud they were in these games,” said centre fielder Jakob Marsee, “no one thought we could win, and being able to do it with all the guys was a lot of fun.” 

Italy blew a 2-1 seventh-inning lead Monday when Michael Lorenzen allowed consecutive run-scoring singles with two outs to Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez.

Italy players remained draped over the dugout railing after the final out, watching Acuña and the other Venezuelan stars celebrate on the field in front of them while the pro-Venezuela sellout crowd at loanDepot park roared. They stayed there for about 10 minutes, exchanging hugs and saluting some fans behind their dugout.

“We just wanted to make sure we waved and thanked, one, the Venezuelan fans who were here tonight,” captain Vinnie Pasquantino said, “and the Italian fans that were here, because that atmosphere was incredible.”

Cervelli addressed the team after that.

“I just told the guys that they are the champions of this tournament,” he said. “No one expected what they did. They are champions. … They revolutionized Italy. They put another sport on the map, which is good.”

The expectation is certainly that this young roster made up of only a handful of major leaguers and many players from the minors will be back and more experienced in future WBCs.

By then they’re hoping baseball in Italy will have skyrocketed in popularity.

“We were told that … 7 million people watched this game tonight in Italy,” Pasquantino said of a broadcast that started just after 1 a.m. Tuesday in Italy. “That’s incredible. That’s why we’re doing this tournament, in my opinion. To have that sort of impact once every few years is incredible. And the goal of this team — we’ve talked about it a lot — is to impact Italy, and we have. 

“So for us, we weren’t successful on the field tonight, but we were successful in Italy. And that’s what this is all about.”

The Azzurri became the surprise of the tournament, handing the United States a surprising 8-6 loss in pool play and following that with a 9-1 defeat of Mexico when Pasquantino had the WBC’s first three-homer game. The Italians then beat Puerto Rico 8-6 to reach Monday night’s semifinal.

“Really happy to be here with these guys and represent my family,” said Marsee, who is entering his second season with the Miami Marlins and played in front of a crowd Monday that he’s unaccustomed to seeing. “Going forward this season, all I want to do is bring this back to Miami and be able to do this in October.”

The Italians’ celebrations throughout the tournament were endearing to many and garnered widespread attention. They followed each of their 12 home runs with celebratory shots of espresso and brought in bottles of wine — each batch grew more pricey — after every win.

They didn’t pay much attention to the outside critiques they received. Some criticized the roster mostly comprised of Italian-Americans, many of whom have never been to Italy. 

Pasquantino said he hopes that will change.

“And for the kids in Italy, just know that we’re doing this for you guys,” he said. “We want in 20 years for the World Baseball Classic Italian team to be full of Italians, like Italian speakers from Italy. That’s the goal of this. To be an ambassador of that is extremely humbling for me, and I hope that we get to see this through one day.”

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The newspaper Sports Hochi reported Ibata saying it was his “intention to resign.”

Japan is the defending champion and had won the event three times. It marked Japan’s first failure to reach the WBC semifinals despite a team stacked with major league talent including Shohei Ohtani.

“The result is everything,” Sports Hochi reported Ibata saying. “Although we lost this time, I hope Japan will grow stronger and win next time.”

Japan was 4-0 in play in Tokyo in Pool C — victories over Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic — before being eliminated by Venezuela in the loss in Miami.

The MLB players on the Japan team included: Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seiya Suzuki, Yusei Kikuchi, Masataka Yoshida, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Tomoyuki Sugano.

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“The World Series I was in, the crowd here, the crowd we had when we played against Mexico, it’s bigger and better than the World Series,” the U.S. captain said after a 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic that came down to Sunday night’s final pitch. “The passion that these fans have, representing their country, representing some of their favourite players, there’s nothing like it.”

American tradition emphasizing understatement on a team led by Judge and Bryce Harper was showcased against Latin flair on a side featuring Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. When Junior Caminero homered against Paul Skenes to put the Dominicans ahead in the second inning, he celebrated with an overhand bat flip.

In the sixth tournament of an event that started in 2006, the game featured starting lineups featuring 17 All-Stars totaling 56 selections among the 20 starters. They had won five MVP awards, one Cy Young, five Rookies of the Year and three batting titles.

Before a crowd of 36,337 at IoanDepot park, the U.S. overcame the deficit on fourth-inning home runs by Gunnar Henderson off Luis Severino and Roman Anthony against Gregory Soto.

Anthony, at 21 the youngest American player, had bought a ticket for the 2023 WBC final in Miami and watched from the seats as Japan beat the U.S. 3-2.

“Coming to the WBC here, you dream of representing this country and being here the next time around,” Anthony said.

American relievers allowed two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, capped by Mason Miller topping 100 mph with 13 of 22 pitches. Miller’s last appeared to be low for ball four to Geraldo Perdomo but plate umpire Cory Blaser emphatically signalled strike three.

“Just a game we’ll remember forever, right?” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said. “We understood this was going to be a talked-about game, probably one of the most watched games of all time.”

Dynamic defence was commonplace.

With the U.S. trailing by a run in the third, Judge threw a 95.7 mph strike from right field to third base to cut down Fernando Tatis Jr. for the inning’s final out. Judge then made a diving backland catch to rob Soto, his former New York Yankees teammate, in the fourth.

Julio Rodríguez denied Judge a home run with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the fifth, 407 feet from the plate.

“I was like, OK, maybe we got a shot here,” Judge recalled. “But hit it to a guy like J-Rod, who’s one of the best if not the best centre fielder in the game, he’s going make exciting plays like that in big moments.”

Shortstop Bobby Witt ranged to the right field side of the infield to snag Soto’s slow bouncer in the fifth, scrambled to back to touch second base and made an off-balance throw to first for an inning-ending double play. One inning later, Witt threw out Manny Machado at first from the outfield grass.

Pitching moments were memorable, too.

Dominican starter Luis Severino stranded runners at second and third in the third inning when he struck out Judge and Kyle Schwarber, and Skenes escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when Austin Wells flied out.

Wells doubled with one out in the seventh and the relatively slow-footed catcher was held at third on Perdomo’s single to Crow-Armstrong in center. David Bednar then struck out Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte on breaking balls below the strike zone.

Before Miller got the strike three call in the ninth, Perdomo had fouled off a pair of full-count pitches.

“The whole world saw in two teams some of the best players in the game,” said Dominican manager Albert Pujols, a likely future Hall of Famer.

Rosters included 18 of the 41 players who received MVP votes last year.

Judge gave a postgame speech to teammates, looking ahead to Tuesday’s championship against Venezuela or Italy. He had perceived a special night Sunday from the start.

“You get chills standing there on the line, hearing them announce all the names,” he said. “It was like an All-Star team they got over there.”

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Geraldo Perdomo watched Mason Miller’s full-count slider appear to drop just under the strike zone and took a step toward his team’s dugout on the third-base side, thinking he walked to put runners at the corners.

Then plate umpire Cory Blaser emphatically signalled strike three, stranding the potential tying run at third base and giving the United States a 2-1 win Sunday night that advanced the Americans to the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela or Italy.

“He knew he was wrong,” Perdomo said. “I knew it was 100 per cent wrong.”

Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System will launch when the season starts March 25, and it likely will be adopted for future editions of the WBC. The Dominicans would have been able to appeal to the so-called robot umpire if they had a challenge remaining.

“It looked a little down. Yes, I’m glad we had no ABS,” U.S. outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m happy that the human element was in full effect.”

Perdomo heard the call, found it hard to believe and while still holding his bat, lurched it overhead in an arc, nearly tapping the wood against his butt.

“We didn’t lose the game there,” the Arizona star said.

MLB announced in September that ABS will be used during the regular season and post-season in 2026, following testing that started in the minor leagues in 2019.

“I don’t want to focus on the last pitch,” Dominican manager Albert Pujols said. “I’m disappointed about the way that the game ends, but I don’t want to criticize any of that. It just wasn’t meant to be for us.”

Miller threw 13 of 22 pitches at 100 m.p.h. or higher. He gave up a one-out walk to Julio Rodríguez, who advanced to third on a wild pitch and Oneil Cruz’s groundout.

Perdomo fell behind 1-2, worked the count full, then fouled out a pair of triple-digit heaters. Miller followed with his second slider of the at-bat.

“He called strike three. That’s all I care,” American first baseman Bryce Harper said.

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With spots up for grabs at the 2028 Games for the highest two finishers from the Americas at the WBC — excluding the host United States — Canada remained in the mix despite losing in the quarterfinals on Friday

Canada joined the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela as the four Americas teams to advance to the knockout round at the WBC, meaning the two teams that advanced the furthest in the tournament would claim the Olympic berths

After the Dominicans beat Korea on Saturday and Canada lost to the U.S., the Canadians still had a path to the six-team Olympics qualify via tiebreaker, but only if both Puerto Rico and Venezuela lost.

And while Puerto Rico fell to the upstart Italians, Venezuela delivered an upset over Japan, earning the second spot in the WBC semifinals and the 2028 Olympics.

Two more participants in the Olympics will be determined at the WBSC Premier12 in 2027, where the highest-placed Asian team and the top team from Europe or Oceania will each take a spot.

The final spot will go to the winner of a six-team Olympic qualifier, which will be staged no later than March 2028. The participants in that tournament will include two teams from the 2027 European Championship, two from the 2027 Asian Championship, the African champion and the highest-placed eligible team from the Oceania Championship.

Canada last competed at the Summer Olympics in 2008, when it finished sixth in Beijing. It finished fourth at the 2004 Games in Athens, following an inspired run to the bronze-medal game.

Team Canada also participated in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, when baseball was just a demonstration sport.

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Yet to throw a pitch above high-A in the Cleveland Guardians system, the 23-year-old lefty from Ladner, B.C., attacked a powerhouse American lineup without fear or favour at the World Baseball Classic. He ended up throwing two shutout innings, striking out Cal Raleigh and Bryce Harper in the process, during Canada’s 5-3 quarter-final loss.

“The biggest crowd I pitched in before this was when I was 12 at the Little League World Series — it’s a surreal moment,” he said. “It sucks right now because we lost. But looking back at it a couple years down the road, I think it’s going to help me in my career going through the minor leagues. I still have a bunch of stuff to work on, but it’s a stepping stone and I’m excited to get back to spring training.”

Tugboat, as Wilkinson has been known since his dad’s best friend Phil McNeil bestowed the nickname on him during his mosquito baseball days, is one of several national-team players whose development was turbo-charged over the past couple of weeks. 

Between that group, the country’s established big-leaguers and another layer of promising minor-league prospects working their way up, there’s reason to believe this year’s run to the quarterfinals is a beginning for the national team at the tournament, rather than an end.

“To do what they did against one of the best lineups baseball’s probably ever seen, it’s so special,” Michael Soroka said of Wilkinson and Micah Ashman, the 23-year-old double-A lefty in the Baltimore Orioles system who added 2.1 shutout innings against the U.S.

“They were joking about it, they get to go back to Field 6 and it doesn’t matter who they face next, they know they’ve got the stuff to get outs. We knew going into it they had what it took. But now there’s no doubt for themselves. They get to run forward from here.”

The same applies to the program as a whole.

Soroka, Tyler O’Neill, Josh and Bo Naylor, Abraham Toro, Otto Lopez, Edouard Julien and Cal Quantrill are established big-leaguers at the forefront of a core that’s formed from the wreckage of the 2017 Classic, when Canada went 0-3. 

Bolstering them now are Owen Caissie, Denzel Clarke, Tyler Black, Liam Hicks and Jared Young, who are at the beginning of their big-league careers. Adam Macko, Eric Cerantola, Wilkinson and Ashman are working their way up to The Show, while a slew of prospects who weren’t on this edition of the national team, like Jonah Tong, Mitch Bratt, Tristan Peters, David Calabrese, Garrett Hawkins, Carter Loewen, Sam Shaw, Nathan Flewelling, Tim Piasentin, Calvin Ziegler, Emilien Pitre, Myles Naylor and Charles Davalan, are on the move, too.

Add in Nick Pivetta, Jordan Romano, Cade Smith, Matt Brash, Erik Sabrowski and Charles Leblanc — Canadians who, for different reasons, weren’t able to join up this time — and the pool will be much deeper for director of national teams Greg Hamilton next time.

“It would be awesome” if more of them come out next time, said Josh Naylor. “Every individual has their own reasoning on why they are or are not here. It’s hard to judge them. Some guys are fighting for jobs. Some guys have been through injuries from past seasons. But hopefully, (the quarterfinal run) does inspire a few guys to come out next time, we can use everyone we can.”

Indeed. More national-team success, along with strong Toronto Blue Jays teams, only compounds the impact as their results help produce future generations of players.

“It gets people a little bit more excited to go to the ball fields and pick up a ball and a bat and play ball,” said manager Ernie Whitt. “And we see growth in our baseball academies that are going on, different camps and clinics. The growth is there.

“As we grow, the players will also grow. I mean, we’ve got a lot of Canadian players that are playing in college, and they’re chasing their dream of trying to become a big-league player. But again, it starts at the grassroots, getting them the proper training, the techniques and the understanding of how difficult it is to play this game.”

The World Baseball Classic was a crash course in that for Wilkinson, who first gained fame at the 2015 Little League World Series, when he struck out 16 over five innings for the White Rock team representing Canada in a 1-0, extra-inning loss to Mexico.

Cleveland drafted him out of Central Arizona with its 10th-round pick in 2023. After an eye-popping 174 strikeouts in 118.2 innings with a 1.12 ERA between low-A and high-A in 2024, his numbers slid last year when he struck out 117 in 104 innings with a 4.24 ERA.

“I had a rough year last year, I kind of needed it, I got humbled a little bit,” said Wilkinson, who overcomes pedestrian low-90s velocity with a low release point and high induced vertical break. “I had to get back to my strengths, back to Year 1, when I was just competing the best I could do. … This has been a great opportunity to play up a higher level of baseball. To be able to strike out some MVP candidates and stuff like that, I wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true, but just like a good reality check of how good my stuff is.”

Wilkinson spent plenty of time talking to the veteran Canadian arms, fellow Ladner native James Paxton chief among them, underlining the full-circle nature of the national team. Coaches like Justin Morneau, Russell Martin, Stubby Clapp, Paul Quantrill and Denis Boucher are all products of the program they now coach. 

Current players work to nurture and train their younger teammates, too.

“We talked a lot daily about confidence, playing the game through and through until the last out, never-kind-of-give-up attitude and really be a professional, take care of your day from beginning to end and good things will happen,” said Josh Naylor.

“So hopefully they take away all the little lessons learned from some older guys, from some coaches. I know I take a lot away from everyone here, young or older than me, I don’t really care, I try to observe and learn the best I can and try to add that to my game and become a better player at the end of the day.”

Added O’Neill: “Just such a great group of guys that we have. Our chemistry is really good. We’ve played with each other a lot. Most of us have been on this team before, so just to see the boys again and be a part of this, represent the Maple Leaf, it’s always an honour to be out here. We came further than we ever have in the past and just wish we made it even further than that.”

That’s the new bar for Canada, one they’ll try to clear at the next World Baseball Classic, whenever that will be.

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An inspired run to the quarterfinals after winning Pool A, two firsts for the national team in six trips to the event, ended Friday night with a 5-3 loss in which there was both plenty to be proud of, along with plenty to lament.

The Canadians fell behind early, partly by their own doing, rallied in the middle when Bo Naylor’s two-run shot in the sixth inning dialled up the stress on an American team that continues to acquit itself poorly, and then let opportunity slip away late.

So close, so far and now the wait until next time, whenever that might be.

“I’ll be reflecting on this for probably a couple of months,” said manager Ernie Whitt. “You gather your thoughts and what if and what if and what if, but if you continue to do that, you’ll drive yourself crazy.

“I thought we represented the country well and I don’t think we have anything to hang our heads about,” he added. “I told the boys to walk proudly.”

In the bowels of Daikin Park having packed up before parting ways, they did just that, balanced against the regret that it’s the Americans, who only advanced out of pool play with the help of the Italian team that went 4-0 in Pool B, are off to Sunday’s semifinal in Miami rather than them. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Dominican Republic, who mercy-ruled South Korea 10-0 in Friday’s other quarterfinal, await the U.S. while Puerto Rico meets Italy and Venezuela takes on Japan on Saturday to decide the other side of the bracket.

“It hurts,” said Michael Soroka, who allowed three runs, two earned in 2.2 innings but pitched better than the line suggests. “A lot of people looked at us and thought we were not necessarily even expected to get our pool, for whatever reason. We expected to do that. We knew we were going to put up a good fight today and we did. But that’s baseball. Things could have easily went another way and we gave them a good run for it. So it hurts and a lot of guys are excited to get back out there when we’re able to do this again.”

Added Tyler O’Neill: “I really wish that we could play a lot longer, it’s just such a fun group to be around. It just sucks that we came up short again.”

Soroka got bled for three runs, two of them scoring in the third when Abraham Toro airmailed a relay to first on an Alex Bregman infield single that could have been the inning’s final out, while consecutive RBI singles in the sixth by Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong, set up when no one covered first on Roman Anthony’s infield single to start the inning, opened things up.

Logan Webb, meanwhile, threw 4.2 shutout innings and the Canadian offence didn’t get on track until the sixth, when Tyler Black ripped an RBI single off Brad Keller before Bo Naylor crushed a Gabe Speier slider 404 feet to right field, cutting the U.S. lead to 5-3.

“Huge homer,” said O’Neill. “We were right back in that ball game and the boys had a lot of belief all throughout the game, even when we were down. We knew we had the strength to come back and make ourselves known.”

They nearly did in the seventh when Edouard Julien and Otto Lopez opened the inning with singles and advanced on a Cal Raleigh passed ball. But David Bednar rallied as Josh Naylor popped a middle-middle 96.8 m.p.h. heater to third, O’Neill struck out on a chase curveball while Owen Caissie lost a tenacious nine-pitch duel by swinging through a split.

The Canadians didn’t get another chance to score as Garrett Whitlock worked a clean eighth before Mason Miller closed things out in the ninth as a crowd of 38,054 celebrated.

“The real special part was that this team did not cave,” said Soroka. “Bo came up clutch with that big homer and you could feel the tension over there, you could feel the tension in the crowd. In the seventh inning we had them right there and it’s just so close. They’ve got one of the best bullpens baseball’s ever seen, so credit to them for continuing to pitch out of jams. It was very, very close.”

It was, but instead of a flight to Miami to ready for an even tougher challenge against a stacked Dominican Republic team that looks like the clear tournament favourite, the Canadians were instead left to assess the way they raised the bar for themselves.

“We did something that a Canadian team has never done, hopefully inspired the next generation and we all look forward to the next one, really,” said Josh Naylor, who wasn’t the same after being hit by Jose De Leon on the right elbow Tuesday against Puerto Rico and didn’t push back on the idea he was banged up. “This is a big stepping stone for Canadian baseball. We’ll look to push it on a little bit further next time and maybe at some point quick, we’ll win this thing.”

Worth noting is that they showed well even in a tournament structured around the U.S. team, a reality underlined by the way this quarterfinal, originally scheduled for Saturday, was moved to Friday so the Americans remained in the broadcast slot envisioned for them.

Playing a day earlier had little impact on the U.S., but gave the Canadians less time to recover from their 7-2 win over Cuba on Wednesday and the subsequent flight from San Juan to Houston.

Combine that with the restrictions on player usage the Canadians had to face — a reality for all Classic teams but more damaging to countries with shallower talent pools — and there were limits on how creative they could get, even as they got deeper into the event.

Once you consider some of the prominent names that for different reasons didn’t play — Nick Pivetta, Cade Smith, Matt Brash, Jordan Romano, Jonah Tong — and it’s clear the Canadians did a good job of piecing a plan together.

The hope is the next time there’s a World Baseball Classic, in 2029 or 2030 depending on what happens with the next collective bargaining agreement, even more of the country’s best players join the current core.

“It’s a stepping stone,” said Whitt. “Hopefully other Canadian ballplayers see it, the excitement that there is, we had a full house out there today cheering. That’s fun.

“That’s the way baseball is supposed to be played. Not everyone can be happy, though. There’s always a winner and loser. When you get into this format, someone’s got to win and someone’s got to lose. On this side, it’s hard to take.”

As it should be, marking an important sign of growth. 

O’Neill debuted at the Classic in 2017, when Canada went 0-3 in its worst showing at the event, when he was pushing for the majors in the way Caissie, a force over the five games, was this time. At the 2023 tournament, the Canadians improved to 2-2 and lost a win-and-in game to Mexico and this time, featuring a lineup full of big-leaguers, they went 3-2 and legitimately could be 5-0 with cleaner play.

“Most of that group from ’23 has carried over here to ’26,” said O’Neill. “We know each other even better now, chemistry is only getting better and there’s a lot of future talent here, a lot of future winning and opportunity in this group.”

They showed that in the chaos of Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan and again at Daikin Park in Houston, where they pushed a powerhouse American team to the brink. For now, it will have to be enough, but next time, the goal will be even more, rightfully so.

Reaching the quarterfinals for the first time, Canada is set to face Team USA on Friday after going 3-1 in pool play. (Coverage carried on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.)

But while Canada doesn’t feature a star-studded roster like its opponent, it still managed to weave its way through Pool A on the back of strong pitching and unlikely heroes.

That style of play gained the attention of Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, who referred to the Canadians during a press conference on Thursday as a “scrappy bunch.”

“They’re swinging the bats, bunch of guys in their lineup from (Abraham) Toro to (Owen) Caissie are swinging the bats well,” DeRosa continued.

Toro and Caissie are Team Canada’s leading batters throughout the tournament so far, sporting .467 and .500 batting averages, respectively.

The team also allowed just 10 runs over the four pool games, good for a 1.50 ERA.

But for DeRosa, the chance to even battle the “scrappy” Canadians is a “fortunate” one, considering his American squad needed some help just to move on in the tournament.

The manager referred to the quarterfinal berth as “a new lease on life,” fitting for a team that made headlines for more than one reason after a loss to Team Italy in pool play.

Not only was the loss a major upset as the Americans are one of the tournament favourites, but DeRosa also claimed pre-game that their “ticket’s punched.”

That, of course, was not the case, and Team USA needed Italy to score at least four runs on Wednesday against Mexico to move on to the quarters.

DeRosa clarified is comments yet again on Thursday.

“I was well aware that we had to win that game based on all the scenarios that could take place,” he said. “It’s just an overly confident statement on ‘Hot Stove.’ … I felt good about where we were after Mexico.”

“I didn’t know that we were going to do this, guys were putting them on and I’m like, ‘No way,’” said Kansas City Royals relief prospect Eric Cerentola. “I was fired up. I’ve always wanted one. I’ve got a couple NHL ones, but not a Canada one.”

He does now, Hockey Canada’s gesture, delivered by staffer who flew the swag down ahead of the national team’s World Baseball Classic quarterfinal versus the Americans, rectifying that. The jerseys were a follow-up to the video featuring Jon Cooper, Jarome Iginla and Sidney Crosby sent over in the morning and immediately shared in the baseball club’s group chat.

Cerentola, drafted by the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack in 2016 before he locked in on baseball, appreciated all of it, beginning with a message from the Paralympic sledge hockey team on Thursday “that was awesome.”

On Friday, “Cooper and Iginla said something, and then Sidney Crosby said something at the end and that was neat. They were saying, go out there, compete, represent the country, short and sweet. Them taking the time out of their day to wish us luck means a lot. 

“When I was playing hockey, everybody wanted to be like Sidney Crosby,” Cerentola added. “To have him say a few words and get us going, it was cool.”

On the field during batting practice, the Canadian players looked sharp doing their pre-game work in red Olympic hockey jerseys. Pitchers even did their throwing in them, Cerentola saying, “I just had to roll up the sleeves and it was good after that.”

Tyler O’Neill customized his jersey by cutting the sleeves off, triggering laughs from his teammates as he charged into the outfield, adding to already high vibes ahead of the clash with the Americans.

“It’s awesome, Canada in all sports, just sticking together, celebrating one another,” said Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, who played double-A hockey until he decided to focus on baseball at 14. “This is an exciting time for us and being able to represent Canada, for anyone in any sport or in any way, is super special. It’s just really cool to be able to represent them and support them the way other Canadian athletes support us.”

The support comes against the backdrop of the gold-medal Olympic losses by the men’s and women’s hockey teams at the Milan Games last month.

Manager Ernie Whitt was asked if they wanted to avenge those losses at the Classic, and replied, “well, it would make me very happy. Not only myself, but I think the entire country of Canada would be extremely happy — we’ve got a pretty good following.”

Included among them is Hockey Canada, whose members “voiced their congratulations, No. 1, on advancing, but reinforcing the fact that the job’s not done yet. It was a great surprise. It was nice to see, and I think the boys got a kick out of it.”

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After a snubbed handshake between Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena led to a vulgar rant from the latter, fellow Mariner and Canadian first baseman Josh Naylor decided to turn down the temperature.

When Naylor first stepped up to the batter’s box in the quarterfinal showdown between the U.S. and Canada, he attempted to greet Raleigh behind the plate but was promptly denied, as Arozarena had been only days before.

Asked about the interaction after the 5-3 Canada loss, Naylor made it clear that it was all just for laughs and that it’s all love between him and his Mariners teammate.

“We were all just joking. Trying to really make light of the situation,” Naylor said. “I texted him before that I was gonna do it, and he said, ‘Please don’t,’ but me and Cal are really good friends. He’s an awesome teammate. Honestly, one of my favourite teammates I think I’ve ever had in my career.”

While Raleigh declined to shake Naylor’s hand, the Canadian first baseman did say that the two greeted each other as he stepped up to the plate.

“I love him and I was honestly just super joking. … I mean, it is what it is. I’m not gonna like try to cause anything. It’s not that big of a deal to be completely honest,” Naylor said.

Naylor’s response was worlds different from Arozarena’s, as the Mariners outfielder went viral for his post-game comments about the interaction when he told Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish that Raleigh “has to thank god he has nice parents, well educated,” and used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult the catcher.

Speaking on the incident a couple days later, Raleigh said “there’s no beef” between the two and called him “my brother. We’re family.”

By defeating Cuba in the final game of pool play, Canada earned a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal berth for the first time in tournament history.

And in doing so, they also dashed the dreams of Cuba, who will miss the tournament’s knockout round for the first time.

The win, in addition to Tuesday’s victory against Puerto Rico, catapults Canada to the top of Pool A.

Canada will now play the United States, who finished second in Pool B, on Friday night in Houston (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+).

Here are some of the best reactions from around the sports world on Canada’s historic victory.

The kerfuffle went viral when Arozarena, a two-time All-Star outfielder playing for Mexico, cursed out Raleigh to a reporter after the U.S. catcher did not accept a handshake before an at-bat in the Americans’ 5-3 win.

Speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, Arozarena said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and said he recently hugged them during a friendly greeting at the team hotel.

He then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh before pivoting to English and saying Raleigh could shove his “good to see you” in his rear. Arozarena was born in Cuba but defected to Mexico to pursue an MLB career.

Arozarena had reached down to greet Raleigh in his catcher’s squat at home plate, and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back. Raleigh appeared to say something to Arozarena during the exchange at the plate that could have set off the Mexican star.

Arozarena appeared to be visibly upset at Raleigh, though it wasn’t totally clear if he was just having fun at his teammates’ expense. The pair have been teammates since Arozarena was traded from Tampa Bay to Seattle during the 2024 season.

Raleigh called Arozarena a baseball “brother” while explaining there was no tension between the teammates.

“I love Randy, I do,” Raleigh said before the U.S. played Italy on Tuesday night. “I hate that this is a thing. There’s no beef when we get back to Seattle. He’s my brother. We’re family.”

He said he spoke to Arozarena on Tuesday.

“He’s awesome,” Raleigh said. “He’s been great for our team and we talked and this isn’t this isn’t a big deal at all. So we’re good friends and we’ll continue to be good friends, and I think we’re just enjoying competing against each other right now.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson told reporters he planned to speak to both of his players on Tuesday.

“These guys are incredible athletes because of their competitiveness, and that’s where they’re at, and that’s why they’ve gotten to the level that they’ve gotten,” Wilson said. “But I also know that our team loves each other deeply. And that’s one of the key ingredients we have in that clubhouse, is how much they love each other, and so I don’t anticipate this being any bit of an issue.”

Wilson doesn’t expect whatever happened between the two to linger into the regular season. The Mariners went 90-72 in 2025 and won the franchise’s first AL West title since 2001 in large part behind Raleigh, who became the seventh player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season.

“Competitiveness is competitiveness,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter. Sometimes, it’s a backyard game. Whatever. These guys are competitive. But like I said, I think the love that they have for each other will shine.”

Raleigh said his priority right now is on his U.S. teammates.

“It’s just a competitive environment, and I know he would want the same for me when we’re on the team and playoff baseball,” he said. “I just have a responsibility for my teammates here right now and my country and emotions are running high.”

“I’m here to win the World Baseball Classic for my country, I’m not too worried about this,” Raleigh added to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.

U.S. manager Mark DeRosa was asked about the incident Tuesday.

“You’re in the fight, man,” he said. “You’re trying to represent your colors, your country. And… I wouldn’t have had a problem if he dabbed him up. I don’t think it shows any (thing) one way or the other. But he chose not to. And I’m good with that, too.”

Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and Roman Anthony added a three-run drive in a big third inning to lead the United States to the win. The U.S. improved to 3-0 and will meet Italy (2-0) on Tuesday night, seeking to secure a spot in the quarterfinals in Houston this weekend.

Jarren Duran homered twice for Mexico (2-1), which will face Italy on Wednesday night in the last game of Group B play.

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Teel, 24, injured his hamstring playing for Italy during its 8-6 upset of the U.S. on Tuesday night in the World Baseball Classic. On a double down the right-field line, Teel appeared to tweak his hamstring while rounding first base. He left the field under his own power with athletic trainers.

Teel, acquired from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade during the 2024 offseason, appeared in 78 games for the White Sox last season. Teel hit .273 with eight home runs, 11 doubles and 35 RBIs while walking 37 times in 297 plate appearances.

Edgar Quero, who appeared in 111 games for Chicago last season, is expected to handle the bulk of the catching innings with Teel sidelined. Quero hit .268 with five home runs, 17 doubles and 36 RBIs in 403 plate appearances last season.

“If I’m an organization and I see a left-handed pitcher that can still throw 97 and command it, I would definitely take a look or make a phone call,” said Whitt, the national team manager.

“The Big Maple, I’m telling you, he’s going to get calls,” added Quantrill, Canada’s pitching coach. “I mean, the guy hasn’t pitched for a year plus and he’s throwing 95-plus. … The man could play Major League baseball right now, in my mind.”

So, any chance this experience is making him reconsider retirement?

“I don’t think so, no,” Paxton said on the field, after logging 2.2 innings in Wednesday’s 7-2 Pool A-clinching win over Cuba. “My family wants me home. I want to be home with my family, put my kids to bed at night. It’s flattering, but I think the most likely scenario is that I’ll just continue mentoring and helping the next generation of baseball players do their thing.”

The 37-year-old from Ladner, B.C., retired in 2024 after a right-calf strain in August that cut short what turned out to be his final season in the majors. Apart from being a dad, he’s since been working online to complete his Kentucky business degree, something he expects to do in the next year, and he plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in sports psychology afterward.

“I want to get into mentoring young players and consulting for teams on mental skills,” Paxton said. “I really love the mental side of the game between the lines, the sport performance between the ears. I’m going to try to impact the game in that way.”

Paxton certainly looked like someone capable of still impacting the game on the mound during his two appearances at the WBC. He sat 93.9 m.p.h. and topped out at 95.6 during 2.2 innings in Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Panama, and then averaged 94.4 and touched 97.1 on his final pitch Wednesday, when he struck out six batters. 

“I guess my elbow just needed a year off,” he quipped. “It felt really good coming out. I was just out there competing. And I think doing it for Canada gave me that extra adrenaline.”

Both times he was removed mid-at-bat at 49 pitches to avoid the four days of rest required by tournament rules, so he’ll be eligible to pitch on one day of rest in Friday’s quarterfinal clash with the United States.

Paxton said he recovered well from his first outing, feeling soreness “in the good places, my scap and my lat” that was ironed out by some treatment. He’ll have a shorter turnaround for Friday but “hopefully, it’ll be the same thing recovery-wise going forward, and I’ll be able to be ready.”

Whether he pitches or not, he’s already made contributions to the Canadian squad beyond what he’s done on the mound. Quantrill praised him for the way “he helps our young players,” sharing the lessons learned from his 11-year big-league career.

Talent aside, it’s another reason Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams, wanted him on the roster and pitched him on the idea back in the fall. Paxton started throwing in November, playing catch with former Mariners teammate and current neighbour Marco Gonzales, who is in camp with the San Diego Padres on a minor-league contract.

Back in January, he conceded that after Tommy John surgery in April 2021, he never felt the same physically pitching again, which forced him to find other ways survive on the mound with the Red Sox and Dodgers.

“I didn’t have the same stuff, but mentally I knew how to compete, I knew how to push myself,” he explained. “I feel like I’m a better mental competitor now than I was when I was young, even when I had the stuff.”

All of that’s led to this run with the national team, a chance to walk off the field again on his own terms, having helped Canada advance to the Classic quarterfinals for the first time — and perhaps even beyond.

“I’ve really enjoyed just talking with the guys, getting to know them and imparting my wisdom on the young guys,” said Paxton. “Helping them out feels really good and to go out there and do that is a lot of fun.”

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After the U.S. lost to Italy on Tuesday, there was a serious possibility that the second round would not include the Americans’ all-star-laden roster. But once the dust settled on Wednesday’s action, Team USA survived, thanks to Vinnie Pasquantino’s three-homer night in Italy’s win over Mexico.

Along with that espresso-charged Italian victory, Canada advanced past the first round of the WBC for the first time, while the Dominican Republic held off Venezuela in the much-anticipated battle for the top spot in Pool D.

It all locked in the tournament’s final eight, and from here on out, it’s win-or-go-home.

So, as the WBC resets before the quarterfinals get underway on Friday and Saturday, there’s no better time to take a look at how the countries left standing stack up after a successful group stage.

Here is a power ranking of the WBC’s top contenders.

(All games can be seen on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+.)

1. Dominican Republic (4-0, Pool D winner)

Runs scored: 41
Runs allowed: 10
Tournament ERA: 2.38
Tournament OPS: 1.130
Notable round-robin performer: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.500 average, two home runs, one double, seven RBIs, 1.583 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponent: Korea

This Dominican Republic team has brought the party to the World Baseball Classic and is showing no signs of slowing down heading into the quarterfinals.

It’s been all about the bats for Team DR. Its lineup of all-stars leads the Classic in all three triple-slash categories (.313/.458/.672), home runs (13), walks (33) and runs scored (41). While five different Dominican hitters launched multiple homers in Pool D play, it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. who led the way. The trio each carried an OPS above 1.200, walked more than they struck out and clearly had fun while doing so in front of an electric Miami crowd.

The Dominican Republic has put together stacked lineups before — albeit not to this extent — but a separating factor for this year’s team has been its pitching and bullpen. Dominican relievers allowed just one earned run over 20.1 innings in the group stage, racking up 18 strikeouts in the process.

If the rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Cristopher Sánchez, Brayan Bello and Luis Severino can hand over games to the ‘pen with a lead, the Dominican Republic will be a serious threat to win its first WBC title since 2013.

2. Japan (4-0, Pool C winner)

Runs scored: 34
Runs allowed: 9
Tournament ERA: 2.12
Tournament OPS: .987
Notable round-robin performer: DH Shohei Ohtani (.556 average, two home runs, six RBIs, 2.025 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponent: Venezuela

Samurai Japan once again cruised through the group stage — it has not lost in the first round since 2013 — and enters the quarterfinal as a favourite to repeat as WBC champs.

Although it was shakier at times than Japan likely would have wanted, escaping with two- and one-run victories over Korea and Australia, Shohei Ohtani and Co. took care of business to finish atop Pool C. Japan finished as the third-highest scoring team in round-robin action and had eight hitters carry an OPS higher than 1.127. 

Each of Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida hit multiple homers in Japan’s first four games and, combined, pose a serious threat at the top of the order for any of the remaining pitching staffs.

As for Japan’s pitching, it worked a pair of shutouts in pool play, and Yusei Kikuchi was the lone Japanese starter to allow any runs. If Japan is to limit the offensive prowess of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela on its side of the bracket, it will need to continue racking up punchouts as it has through four games. Japan pitchers enter their quarterfinal matchup ranked second in strikeouts per nine (12.97).

3. United States (3-1, Pool B runner-up)

Runs scored: 35
Runs allowed: 17
Tournament ERA: 3.50
Tournament OPS: .944
Notable round-robin performer: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (.357 average, five hits, two doubles, three stolen bases, .971 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponent: Canada

Even after its stunning loss to Italy and some uneven play over four games, the United States remains one of the WBC’s strongest teams. And with some extra motivation added following the loss and the likely increase in … attention to detail, let’s call it, going forward, it’s tough to drop the U.S. too far in any ranking.

Looking at the full picture of Team USA’s tournament, it has been snakebitten by the long ball, with more than half of the runs it allowed coming via the home run. But outside of the gopher ball, American pitching leads this Classic in strikeouts, walks issued and WHIP, and is third in batting average against. The U.S. will also turn over its rotation for the quarters, with Logan Webb and Paul Skenes lined up for its next two games, should it advance.

As the Americans hurtled toward Tuesday’s loss, they did put together a comeback effort that showed why they might be such a tough out when elimination is on the line. The U.S. scored six runs over the final four innings against Italy, seeing the likes of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Roman Anthony and Gunnar Henderson deliver big swings.

Although he has put together a solid showing over four games, all eyes will be on Aaron Judge in the knockout round, especially after his 0-for-4 performance in the loss to Italy.

4. Italy (4-0, Pool B winner)

Runs scored: 32
Runs allowed: 11
Tournament ERA: 2.75
Tournament OPS: 1.038
Notable round-robin performer: OF Dante Nori (.500 average, six hits, two home runs, six RBIs, 1.616 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponent: Puerto Rico

The surprise team of the 2026 WBC, Italy mashed its way to an undefeated record and the top spot in Pool B. Along the way, it knocked off the United States and Mexico with a barrage of long balls.

Although it lost Kyle Teel and Miles Mastrobuoni to injury, Italy’s lineup still features seven hitters with an OPS above .900 and eight who went deep at least once during pool play.

Vinnie Pasquantino put a bow on Italy’s dominant run through the group in Houston, becoming the first player to hit three homers in a single WBC game. But it’s been some of the youngest Italians who have kept the coffee flowing. Canadian-born outfielder Dante Nori and top Royals prospect Jac Caglianone have excelled at the plate, combining to reach base 14 times.

For as much attention as Italy’s bats have gotten, its pitching has also been among the tournament’s best. Italy finished round-robin play third in strikeouts per nine (11.25), seventh in walks per nine (3.75) and sixth in home runs allowed (three) and batting average against (.209).

5. Venezuela (3-1, Pool D runner-up)

Runs scored: 26
Runs allowed: 12
Tournament ERA: 2.75
Tournament OPS: .809
Notable round-robin performer: 2B Luis Arraez (.500 average, six extra-base hits, nine RBIs, 1.743 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponent: Japan

Led by Ronald Acuña Jr., Venezuela is back as a serious contender for the WBC crown. Defeated by only the Dominican Republic in Pool D, Venezuela cruised to the quarterfinals with a roster full of big-league talent.

Acuña is the straw that stirs the drink for this squad. The former NL MVP posted a .526 on-base percentage in the round-robin and scored a WBC-leading eight runs over four games. It’s helped to have Luis Arraez hitting behind him, who turns into something of a power hitter when he puts on that Venezuela uniform — he has more multi-homer games in two Classics than he does in seven MLB seasons.

And while the likes of the Contreras brothers, Salvador Perez and Jackson Chourio haven’t found their footing at the bottom of Venezuela’s order, there’s no doubt that they could change the outlook of a game with one swing of the bat in the coming days.

It’s on the pitching side of things where Venezuela may be more vulnerable than some of the other remaining baseball powers. It does feature a bevy of MLB leverage arms in the bullpen, but only Korea ranked worse than Venezuela among the remaining teams in average against (.218) and strikeouts per nine (9.00), and only Korea and the U.S. surrendered more home runs.

Ranger Suárez offers a strong starting point on Saturday, but there appears to be some risk the deeper you get into Venezuela’s pitching staff.

6. Canada (3-1, Pool A winner)

Runs scored: 21
Runs allowed: 10
Tournament ERA: 1.50
Tournament OPS: .713
Notable round-robin performer: 3B Abraham Toro (.467 average, five extra-base hits, five RBIs, 1.529 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponents: United States

After years of heartbreak and disappointment at the World Baseball Classic, Canada finally advanced past the first round. The main difference this time around? Pitching.

On the backs of strong starts from each of Michael Soroka, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Balazovic and Cal Quantrill, Canada kept opponents in check throughout Pool A action. But perhaps even more impressive in San Juan was its bullpen, which allowed just three earned runs over 21.1 innings, with important contributions coming from unlikely sources such as Brock Dykxhoorn, Noah Skirrow, Logan Allen and James Paxton.

Entering the tournament, Canada’s calling card appeared to be its offence. And while the bats did enough to claim three wins, Canada certainly wasn’t firing on all cylinders through its first four games. Owen Caissie and Abraham Toro did much of the heavy lifting in the Canadian lineup, combining for 14 hits, six doubles, two big flies and 10 of the team’s 21 RBIs.

If Canada is to make noise from here on out, though, it will need some of its big boppers at the top of its lineup to spring for extra bases. Josh Naylor and Tyler O’Neill both reached base at an above-average clip in Puerto Rico, but neither has done the damage they’ve proven capable of at the major-league level.

7. Puerto Rico (3-1, Pool A runner-up)

Runs scored: 15
Runs allowed: 7
Tournament ERA: 1.22
Tournament OPS: .582
Notable round-robin performer: RHP Luis Quiñones (Two games, 4.0 innings pitched, zero hits, zero runs, one walk, seven strikeouts)

Quarterfinal opponent: Italy

Even without stars Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javier Báez, Puerto Rico remains a constant in the WBC quarterfinals, having now advanced past the first round in all six Classics.

However, this year, Puerto Rico rode its pitching to the second round in front of its home crowd in San Juan.

Puerto Rican pitchers allowed just five earned runs against their Pool A competition, holding hitters to a .153 batting average while collecting 40 strikeouts in 37 innings. Starters Seth Lugo, Eduardo Rivera and Elmer Rodríguez all looked sharp, combining for 11.1 frames of one-run ball across Puerto Rico’s three victories. And, of course, should Puerto Rico hold any late leads, Edwin Díaz is looming in the bullpen. The star closer struck out five of the seven hitters between his appearances against Colombia and Cuba.

It’s no secret that Puerto Rico has struggled offensively, carrying a .582 team OPS. But what its hitters have done well is deliver big hits in big moments, with Martín Maldonado’s bases-clearing double against Cuba and Darell Hernaiz’s walk-off homer against Panama standing as its two biggest swings of the tournament.

But with middle-of-the-order threats such as Nolan Arenado and Heliot Ramos scuffling, Puerto Rico’s offence will need to find another gear to keep up with some of this WBC’s top lineups.

8. Korea (2-2, Pool C runner-up)

Runs scored: 28
Runs allowed: 19
Tournament ERA: 4.50
Tournament OPS: .796
Notable round-robin performer: 1B Bo Gyeong Moon (.538 average, two home runs, 11 RBIs, 1.779 OPS)

Quarterfinal opponent: Dominican Republic

A strong offensive showing and some timely pitching helped Korea advance past the first round for the first time since 2009, but its staff is in for a tough test in the knockout round.

Korea punched its ticket to the quarterfinals after some tiebreaker mayhem of its own. Entering its final game against Australia, Korea essentially needed to beat the Aussies by five or more to advance. It came down to the wire, but when Hyun Min Ahn put the final touch on a 7-2 victory with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth and Byeong Hyeon Jo slammed the door in the bottom half, Korea found itself on the way to Miami.

Even after advancing, Korea’s pitching remains a major question mark heading into its quarterfinal matchup against a stacked Dominican lineup. In the round-robin, Korea ranked 12th of 20 countries in batting average against and tied for last in home runs allowed.

That likely means for it to deliver an upset on Friday, Korea’s bats will have to step up. Bo Gyeong Moon has been one of this WBC’s top offensive stars, leading the tournament in RBIs (11), but beyond the first baseman, Korea will look for some of its established MLB talent to raise its level in the final eight. Big-leaguers Jung Hoo Lee, Jahmai Jones and Hyeseong Kim all posted an OPS south of .710 in the pool stage, with the trio going hitless in a key loss to Chinese Taipei.

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“Anything can happen in one game,” Michael Soroka said Thursday after being confirmed as Canada’s starter for the contest. “The roster gap isn’t probably as big as it’s been in previous years and we’re very fortunate to have a lineup like this and a pitching staff that has some depth. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got and let it fall as it will.”

There have been few games of consequence for Canada’s senior squad that compare, which is why winning Pool A with Wednesday’s 7-2 victory over Cuba and escaping the first round for the first time was so important. But beyond the good times, the happy social media posts and the long-sought achievement for so many people working at this for 20-plus years, this run’s impact will run far deeper.

“We’ve always talked about when the Jays do well, Baseball Canada does well,” said Jason Dickson, the former Los Angeles Angels all-star who is Baseball Canada’s chief executive officer. “The Jays have done their part in the sense of getting to a World Series and we’re now doing our part. They built momentum. It helps us build momentum. We have a good run here as it leads into the Jays season and between the two of us, we get a lot of Canadian kids thinking about playing baseball.

“There’s a lot of talk around baseball. It seems like it hasn’t stopped since last year. Yes, we had the Olympics and yeah, we had our hockey jerseys on for a bit, but there’s a lot of baseball talk a lot of months this year and it’s good.”

No doubt, and baseball in Canada is definitely enjoying an extended moment. 

It will be months before there’s hard data, but anecdotally, interest in participation is already surging where it’s open, and being highly anticipated in communities where it’s yet to start.

“The cautionary part to this is we need to then develop capacity, not just in fields but coaching, volunteers, all those things come with it,” said Dickson. “But we set those discussions with the Jays and Jays Care around how we partner and do some of those things.”

Success at the Classic helps on that front, too, as the deeper Canada goes, the larger its share of the prize money. Each of the 20 national federations in the tournament gets an initial cut, with bonuses subsequently paid out for winning a pool, advancing to the quarterfinals and each win beyond that.

That money, pushing into seven figures rather than six at this point, is split evenly between the federation and its players, a boon that trickles down across the country.

“The portion that comes to our federation, it has multi-year significance. It’s very impactful. It’s huge,” said Dickson. “Sport Canada funding has been cut for us and many other sports. I’m not just saying it from a Baseball Canada perspective. I had the same conversation with my counterpart at USA Baseball and even for them, there’s money that turns into grassroots dollars that helps build the game.”

Leveraged well, the full benefits of all that will show up a decade from now, just as several of the younger players on the current team point to the 2015-16 Blue Jays as key in their pathway.

First things first, there’s a quarterfinal game against the Americans, one that’s long awaited and highly anticipated, especially after gold-medal losses to the U.S. for the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams last month.

“It would be great to avenge it,” said manager Ernie Whitt.

Added Soroka: “We’re not chasing results. We’re not chasing a story. We’re just going to go out there and play our brand of baseball and let everything fall as it may.”

OLYMPIC SPOILS

Final World Baseball Classic placement will decide the two Americas qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — the United States is already in as host — so Canada’s advancement to the quarterfinals helps on that front, as well.

The Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico are in the running with the Canadians as the non-U.S. Americas teams still standing, but how it lines up from there is complicated.

According to a March 3 letter sent from the World Baseball Softball Confederation to national federations, the final rankings will be based on how deep teams reach, grouped by the stage at which they’re eliminated. 

Rankings within each of the phases is determined by the following tiebreaking criteria, in order of priority: 

1. Winning percentage, considering all games played in the competition
2. Head-to-head result (if applicable)
3. Runs allowed per recorded defensive out, from all games played
4. Earned runs allowed per recorded defensive out, from all games played
5. Overall team batting average

The best approach for the remaining contenders is to just keep winning so they can avoid doing math.

FAMILIAR FACES

Soroka allowed one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts against Colombia in Canada’s Classic opener and is ready for a much tougher assignment versus the Americans.

“It was a different game against Colombia because there were a lot of names in the lineup that I hadn’t faced and a lot of names that we didn’t have a ton of data on — and this is very much the opposite,” he said. “We’ll have a good idea. And it will be a little bit more of a chess match than that was. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” he added. “I feel really good. We’ll make the next step in a starting progression, obviously. I’m going to go out there with everything I’ve got for as long as I’ve got it.”

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After 20 years and five previous attempts, that long-sought quarterfinal date, in Houston against the Pool B runner-up United States on Friday night (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+), awaits after a 7-2 triumph Wednesday afternoon secured not only a second-round berth, but also first place in Pool A.

Michael Soroka is expected to start an opportunity that’s been a long time coming for the national team program.

“We’re not here for a participation ribbon,” said Cal Quantrill, a driving force in the decisive win over Cuba. “We’re here to compete and play ball and win against the best countries in the world…

“We were professional the whole time. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we showed up to play these last two days. Just really, really proud of the guys. Such a cool moment for Canada baseball, for a lot of guys that have been here for a long time.”

Quantrill shoved for five innings, allowing only an unearned run set up by his own errant pick-off throw, setting the tone while the Canadians matched Cuba’s early-contest gamesmanship to grind out some offence.

Otto Lopez’s two-run single capped a bizarre three-run sixth that gave Canada control of the contest, and they added on from there to ensure a drama-free finish. The toughest call they had to make was pulling James Paxton after 2.2 dominant innings with two outs and two strikes in the ninth to keep him eligible for the quarters because he was at 49 pitches.

Eric Cerantola got Omar Hernandez on a fly ball to left, Owen Caissie pumped his fist as the ball settled in his glove and the celebration was on.

“It’s huge,” said Paxton, who sat 94.4 m.p.h. with his fastball and hit 97.1 with his final offering. “I’ve been a part of Baseball Canada for a long time, junior national team, this, and then this and to be a part of the group that sends us to the quarterfinals is really special. We’re all really proud and really excited to be representing Canada at the next level here and we’re going to keep on competing and fighting for Canada.”

The Canadians gathered in front of the dugout and saluted their fans in the stands, singing O Canada, the demons of Classics past exorcised. In 2006, when they stunned the powerhouse Americans 8-6, they finished in a three-way tie atop their group but were bounced on a tiebreaker. They lost a win-and-in game to Mexico in that one, another to the Americans in 2013 and a third to Mexico again in 2023.

This appearance nearly came off the rails with a 4-3 loss to Panama on Sunday, but the Canadians rallied to beat Puerto Rico, which is also Houston-bound, 3-2 on Tuesday night before throttling a Cuban team that sacrificed defence for offence and got neither.

“After that Panama loss, we knew that we didn’t play our cleanest baseball,” said Abraham Toro, who had a homer and three hits in the win, along with five RBIs in the round. “We just came together and everybody was still so positive. We’re like, hey, even though we didn’t play our best, we’ve still got two games to go, and we cleaned it up and played really good baseball the last two games. Hopefully keep this momentum for the next round.”

The first three World Baseball Classic meetings between Canada and the United States produced great games, with the clashes in 2017 and 2023 resulting in one-sided American wins.

The 2006 win over the U.S. “was huge as a single game,” said pitching coach Paul Quantrill, Cal’s dad who was part of the 2006 club. “But we feel like we’re a good enough baseball nation — we’ve got some great players and (national teams director) Greg Hamilton runs a great program — that we need to move on to the next level. We’ve been burned with the tiebreaker rules. So it’s just a big step. Some of the young guys, they don’t even know how hard it’s been. I just want to slap a few of them — we’ve been working for this for 20 years, boys. We’re all very happy.”

Justin Morneau lived through the first two as a player and the third as a fan before joining this team as hitting coach, and when he left his hotel room Wednesday morning, “I said to my wife, ‘Just please let me win.’”

“I’ve been let down so many times,” he continued. “We believe we’re one of the top-10 baseball countries in the world. Unfortunately, in this tournament, we haven’t advanced. We’ve done well in the Pan Ams, in a lot of different things. But I think we have a lot of guys that are hungry to do that, and a lot of guys are looking forward to doing it.”

They did it in an effort that featured some glamour but more grit, especially in the early going, when there was gamesmanship on both sides of the field in the battle for control.

Josh Naylor, the game’s second batter, twice stared down Livan Moinelo, who took the rubber before the batter had to be set in the box, leading to a pair of pitch-clock violations and the first of several visits to the umpires by manager German Mesa.

A delayed double-steal that ended with Lopez getting caught in a run-down between second and third resulted in an obstruction call that led to both batters being safe. Moinelo, the star NPB lefty, goaded Edouard Julien into a pitch-clock violation in the second and on it went.

Canada opened the scoring in the third on Owen Caissie’s sacrifice fly, set up by singles from Tyler O’Neill and Abraham Toro plus a passed ball, and went up 2-0 in the fifth when Toro sent a splitter from Yariel Rodriguez into the right-field seats.

The Cubans got one back in the bottom half on Cal Quantrill’s error and Yoelkis Guibert’s run-scoring groundout, but then came the decisive sixth, when second baseman Yiddi Cappe dropped Matt Davidson’s infield pop up and the inning unravelled.

A wild pitch allowed Davidson to reach third and after a Bo Naylor foul pop up fell between two defenders, the Cleveland Guardians catcher ripped a double to right that brought him home. Denzel Clarke, flailing at what should have been strike three, reached on catcher’s interference and stole second before Lopez brought both home with a chopper through a drawn-in infield to make it 5-1.

“I had batted against him before,” Lopez said of Rodriguez, whom he singled off earlier this spring, “and I felt pretty comfortable in that at-bat. I was prepared enough to feel comfortable enough to just get a good pitch and swing. Good things happened.”

The Cubans threatened again in the sixth, getting Ariel Martinez’s RBI single and loading the bases. But Adam Macko struck out Cappe to end the inning, and the Canadians added on from there.

Lopez cleverly scored from first in the eighth when Josh Naylor’s flare to left popped out of a sliding Martinez’s glove in left field, while Caissie cashed in another run in the ninth with a base hit.

Paxton and Cerantola then ripped through the frustrated Cubans in the bottom half to lock down one a victory that means so much to so many people in Canadian baseball.

“First one is Greg Hamilton,” manager Ernie Whitt said of the people he was thinking of. “He works his ass off day in and day out, I don’t know how he does it. He is so dedicated to the game of baseball in Canada, working with the younger kids, working with the grassroots. I just get the benefit of having these kids, watching them grow and develop.

“Jason Dickson (Baseball Canada’s CEO) and Greg Hamilton have done a tremendous job. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jim Baba, God rest his soul. He’s been a big part of Baseball Canada. …

“We’re extremely proud that we’re moving forward. It took us a long time to do it. … There are a lot of people that are watching us here in the WBC and hopefully we can continue to go forward.”

DeRosa made the announcement came before Monday night’s game against Mexico and after the reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner had expressed second thoughts about ending his tournament participation following one outing.

“We were always under the assumption that he was going to leave after pool play,” DeRosa said. “I know that kind of got clouded a little bit because getting on the mound in the USA jersey, being in the room with these guys, is special. But he’s going to leave after tonight and go back to Lakeland and be at Tigers camp.”

Last month, Skubal said he intended to make only one WBC start regardless of how far the U.S. advanced because he wanted to remain on a regular spring training regimen and ramp up for opening day while mostly with Detroit.

His feelings changed after starting against Britain on Saturday night.

“I didn’t expect these types of emotions to run through my brain or my thoughts to differ,” Skubal told reporters on Saturday night. “I was pretty committed to making a start and getting back to camp. Things have changed, obviously. That’s why I’m going to have some conversations and try to figure out a plan for me. But yeah, I don’t know either way.”

DeRosa understands Skubal’s decision and was thrilled to have him even for one start.

“I know what’s at stake for him,” DeRosa said. I’m over the moon he decided to show in the first place for us – I really am – and take the ball for us. I think it meant a lot to a lot of guys in that room. We know where his heart is. If he was in a different situation, he wouldn’t be leaving.”

Skubal is eligible to become a free agent after this season and is expected to secure a nine-figure contract.

“I also understand that 99.9 per cent of the guys, if given his ability to get to free agency and just generational wealth on the table and everything he’s got in front of him, a chance to win three Cy Youngs in a row, I was proud that he even showed for us,” DeRosa continued.

Skubal gave up a home run to Nate Eaton on his first pitch Saturday night but allowed just one single after that while striking out five in three innings of a 9-1 victory.

The game ended under the mercy rule when Soto’s two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh gave the Dominican Republic a double-digit advantage. It was the third game of the tournament that did not go nine innings; Japan beat Taiwan 13-0 and Taiwan routed the Czech Republic 14-0 in Group C.

The Dominican Republic has outscored its opponents 24-4 through two games at loanDepot Park.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte had three walks each for the Dominicans. Starter Luis Severino allowed one run and three hits while striking out five over four innings.

The Dominicans broke it open with a six-run fifth. Caminero hit a three-run homer and Wells added a two-run blast. Marte’s sacrifice fly made it 10-1.

Caminero’s second homer of the tournament had an exit velocity of 115.8 m.p.h.

The Dominican Republic struck quickly with a two-run first against Arij Fransen, who took the loss. Guerrero hit an RBI single and Marte scored from third on a throwing error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Didi Gregorius narrowed the deficit for the Netherlands (1-2) with his solo homer in the second before Guerrero’s two-run drive in the third made it 4-1.

JAPAN 4, AUSTRALIA 3

TOKYO — Defending champion Japan rallied from 1-0 down to beat Australia 4-3 on Sunday behind a seventh-inning, two-run homer with two out by Masataka Yoshida in the World Baseball Classic.

Japan added two insurance runs in the eighth. Ukyo Shuto scored on Teruaki Sato’s double and Sosuke Genda came in when Ky Hampton issued a walk with the bases loaded.

Japan needed those runs.

Alex Hall pulled Australia closer with a home run in the ninth, and Rixon Wingrove hit another on the next at-bat to make it 4-3.

Japan was already guaranteed of advancing to the quarterfinals, but the victory assured Japan of topping Pool C. Japan closes play on Tuesday against Czechia.

Australia can clinch the other quarterfinal spot from the pool if it defeats South Korea on Monday.

Japan was kept in check throughout the game by Australian pitching until Yoshida got to Jon Kennedy, Australia’s fifth pitcher of the night, with a homer to right field.

Kennedy was the losing pitcher. The win went to Chihiro Sumida with a save for Taisei Ota.

Japan had scored all but one of its runs in the first two games of the tournament with home runs.

Australia scored in the sixth on sloppy baseball by Japan. Aaron Whitefield doubled and then stole third base and came home on a throwing error by Japanese catcher Kenya Wakatsuki.

Japan had its best early chance in the fourth, loading the bases with two out and Shohei Ohtani up. However, that ended when Shugo Maki was picked off second by Australian catcher Robbie Perkins with Ohanti standing in the box.

Although Japan had only five hits, it did get 12 walks from Australian pitching.

PANAMA 4, CANADA 3

Rubén Tejada drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single in the sixth inning, sending Panama to its first victory in Pool A.

Enrique Bradfield Jr. had three hits for Panama, including an RBI single. Luis Castillo also had a run-scoring single, and Miguel Cienfuegos pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings in relief for the rain-delayed win.

Panama opened WBC play with tough losses against Cuba on Friday and Puerto Rico on Saturday at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. Panama faces winless Colombia in its last group game on Monday.

Abraham Toro hit an RBI double for Canada, which dropped to 1-1. Jameson Taillon pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball.

Helped by errors on first baseman Josh Naylor and losing pitcher James Paxton, Panama scored three unearned runs in the sixth.

With two down and the bases loaded, Tejada hit a soft liner up the middle. Canada shortstop Otto Lopez got to the ball behind the bag but was unable to make a play. Jose Ramos and Christian Bethancourt scored to give Panama a 3-2 lead.

The speedy Bradfield followed with a bunt single to second, driving in Miguel Amaya.

Canada got one back on Owen Caissie’s RBI double in the eighth, but Humberto Mejía fanned pinch-hitter Tyler Black for the final out of the inning.

Following a rain delay, Dario Agrazal struck out two in a scoreless ninth for the save.

CHINESE TAIPEI 5, KOREA 4

Earlier Sunday, Chinese Taipei defeated Korea 5-4 in 10 innings with Chieh-Hsien Chen — who began as the designated runner — scoring the winning run in the top of the inning on a sacrifice bunt by Kun-Yu Chiang

Chinese Taipei improved to 2-2 and has completed play in Pool C. Korea is 1-2 and finishes play on Monday against Australia. Australia has already beaten Chinese Taipei.

Chinese Taipei hit three home runs in the game, but it was the small ball that saved the day in the end.

Yu Chang hit a solo shot in the first and Tsung-Che Cheng had another one in the second with Stuart Fairchild giving Chinese Taipei a 4-3 lead on a two-run shot in the eighth. It was Fairchild’s second home run of the tournament. The other was a grand slam against Czechia.

“That was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in my life,” said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization who is playing because his mother is from Chinese Taipei.

Fairchild’s home run looked like it might be enough, but not quite.

Korea rallied as it did several times throughout the game and tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Do Yeong Kim with Hyeseong Kim scoring.

Korea got close to scoring the tying run in the bottom of the 10th, but Ju Won Kim was thrown out on a close play at home. A replay showed he was out.

Yi Chang got the victory for Chinese Taipei, with Jyun-Yue Tseng picking up the save. The loss went to Woo-Suk-Go.

CUBA 7, COLOMBIA 4

Ariel Martinez and Erisbel Arruebarrena homered in a four-run first inning, helping Cuba improve to 2-0 in Group A.

Yiddi Cappe added a big two-run triple in the sixth. Yoelkis Guibert had two of Cuba’s eight hits, and Denny Larrondo pitched two innings for the win at Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Cuba beat Panama 3-1 in its WBC opener on Friday. Next up is a showdown with Puerto Rico on Monday night.

Tito Polo drove in two runs for winless Colombia, which faces Panama on Monday. Gio Urshela had a run-scoring single.

Colombia is 2 for 28 with runners in scoring position over its three WBC games. It has left 29 runners on base.

Martinez hit a three-run shot to right on a 2-1 fastball from Luis Patiño. Roel Santos walked and Yoán Moncada was hit by a pitch before Martinez’s opposite-field drive.

Arruebarrena made it 4-1 with a one-out solo shot, chasing Patiño.

Colombia trimmed Cuba’s lead to 7-4 when Polo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh. But Luis Romero came in and retired pinch-hitter Daniel Vellojin on a bouncer back to the mound, ending the inning.

Cuba’s Yoan López worked out of a jam in the eighth, and Raidel Martinez handled the ninth for his second save.

ITALY 7, GREAT BRITAIN 4

Andrew Fischer homered and drove in two runs, and J.J. D’Orazio also went deep to lead Italy over Britain 7-4 in Pool B play.

Italy improved to 2-0 after winning its opener against Brazil on Saturday and Britain fell to 0-3 after losses to Mexico and the United States.

The game was tied at 2-2 with one out in the fourth when Zach Dezenzo doubled for Italy. There were two outs in the inning when an RBI-single by Fischer put the Italians on top. D’Orazio reached on an error before a double by Miles Mastrobuoni sent another run home.

Dante Nori, who homered twice Saturday, added an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2.

Dezenzo walked with one out in the fifth and scored on a triple by Sam Antonacci. A throwing error by Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the play allowed Antonacci to score to put Italy up 7-2.

Nate Eaton’s second double opened the eighth and he scored on a single by Chisholm to cut the lead. Britain added a run on a wild pitch later in the inning to get within 7-4.

Eaton hit a leadoff double a day after connecting on Tarik Skubal’s first pitch for a home run in the loss to the U.S. Chisholm then singled before stealing second base with one out in the first. There were two outs in the inning when Dylan DeLucia threw consecutive wild pitches to let two runners score and give Britain an early lead.

Fischer cut the lead to 2-1 when he opened Italy’s third with a home run. D’Orazio followed with his home run to right-centre field to tie it.

ISRAEL 5, NICARAGUA 0

Noah Mendlinger had three hits and an RBI as Israel beat Nicaragua 5-0 in Miami.

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer threw 4 1/3 innings in his start for Israel, which improved to 1-1 in Pool D. Kremer allowed two hits and struck out four.

Nicaragua dropped to 0-3 and became the first team in the pool to be eliminated. The Nicaraguans remain winless in tournament history after they went 0-4 in their debut in 2023.

Zach Levenson’s two-run single and RBI singles from Cole Carrigg and Harrison Bader in the fifth made it 5-0.

Four Israel relievers followed Kremer and kept Nicaragua hitless the rest of the way. Tommy Kahnle closed with a perfect ninth.

Mendlinger gave Israel an early advantage with his RBI single in the second.

Mark Vientos singled and Omar Mendoza walked against Kremer to start the fifth. Kremer then ended his 63-pitch outing by striking out Juan Montes.

Josh Mallitz relieved Kremer and, after walking Melvin Novoa, retired Freddy Zamora on a double-play grounder.

Nicaragua starter Carlos Rodriguez gave up one run and four hits in four innings.

MEXICO 16, BRAZIL 0

Alejandro Kirk, Jarren Duran, Alek Thomas and Julian Ornelas all homered as Mexico romped to a 16-0 win over Brazil in six innings.

The Pool B game in Houston was halted early because of a WBC mercy rule that ends games if a team is up by 15 or more runs after the fifth.

Mexico also beat Britain 8-2 in its opener Friday and will meet the United States (2-0) on Monday night.

Mexico led by five before a huge fourth inning. Duran drove in two runs with a double before Kirk’s three-run homer made it 10-0.

Kirk had an RBI double in Mexico’s four-run first. Duran’s homer on Eric Pardinho’s first pitch of the second made it 5-0.

Mexico manager Benji Gil pinch-hit for Duran and Kirk along with fellow major leaguers Randy Arozarena and Jonathan Aranda in the fifth with his team up 11-0.

But that didn’t stop Mexico from scoring. The team added a run in the fifth before a two-run shot by Thomas pushed the lead to 14-0 with one out in the sixth.

A two-run homer by Ornelas made it 16-0 with two outs to end it and start a huge celebration by the pro-Mexico crowd.

Mexico starter Taijuan Walker struck out three and walked two in 3 1/3 innings. Brazil didn’t get a hit until Gabriel Maciel singled off Roel Ramírez with two outs in the fifth.

In the WBC for just the second time and first since 2013, Brazil (0-3) was eliminated from advancing after losing to the U.S. and Italy. The team is 0-6 all-time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.

Brazil will wrap up pool play Monday against Britain, which also was eliminated Sunday.

Philadelphia Phillies prospect Dante Nori provided a massive spark at the bottom of the order, going 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, a walk and two runs scored in Italy’s 8-0 win over Brazil at the World Baseball Classic.

Nori was born in Toronto while his father, Micah, served as an assistant coach with the Raptors, and he spent plenty of time around the team growing up — an experience that perhaps helped shape Saturday’s breakout on the international stage.

The game started out promising enough for Nori, as he worked a six-pitch walk in his first trip to the plate in the third inning. Then in the fifth, he lashed a two-out double down the right-field line, using his speed to hustle into scoring position.

But it was Nori’s next two at-bats that will surely have Italy’s upcoming opponents circling his name on their scouting reports.

In the seventh inning, the 21-year-old got hold of a 3-2 slider at the top of the zone, launching the offering from Murilo Gouvea 420 feet into the right-field bleachers. Nori didn’t need very long before leaving the yard again, as in the very next inning, he deposited a Caie De Araujo curveball 395 feet into the bullpen, earning a second swig from Italy’s famous espresso machine.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Nori told reporters post-game. “Before the game, the nerves are going crazy. You know, the home run, blackout, I don’t remember either one, to be honest, kind of just blacked out right around the bases. No, it’s something special. And just the feeling is unbelievable.”

Athletic pedigree runs in the Nori family, as Micah, who is currently the lead assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves, isn’t the only notable coach to influence Dante’s career.

Fred Nori, Dante’s grandfather, was a longtime baseball coach at Indiana University and someone the youngest Nori cited as a reason he chose to represent Italy in the tournament.

“Both my parents’ parents. Fred Nori, especially. That’s my dad’s dad. And Mike Magnone on my mom’s side, especially those,” Dante Nori said when asked why it was special to wear the Italia uniform. “I got the call, and it was one of those things that’s really special to you. You get emotional even talking about it. In fact, when I got to tell him, they all cried. (So it’s) something really special to me.”

Saturday’s power surge was an unexpected surprise for Italy, as the five-foot-nine Nori socked just four dingers in 125 games last season in the minor-leagues.

Although he was born in Toronto, Nori spent most of his childhood in Michigan, where he flourished on the diamond and became one of the top high-school hitters in the 2024 draft.

The Phillies tabbed him with the 27th-overall pick in the first round, betting that his speed and bat-to-ball ability would help him find success in the pro ranks.

Nori delivered on that bet in 2025, slashing .261/.361/.372 in a season that saw him climb three levels of the minors and land in double-A. In addition to his four homers, Nori legged out 18 doubles, 12 triples and stole 52 bases in what was his first full season of affiliated ball.

Nori’s year didn’t end there, however, as he travelled to the Arizona Fall League, carrying an .822 OPS in 12 games.

The strong campaign helped Nori climb prospect rankings, landing as the No. 7 Phillies prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

If he can continue to help Italy pick up wins at the WBC, Nori may have a chance to climb even higher in the rankings before the tournament ends.

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Julio Rodriguez and Oneil Cruz also went deep for the Dominican Republic, which broke it open late after Caminero’s homer snapped a 3-all tie.

Manny Machado’s double in the sixth preceded Caminero’s blast. Rodriguez’s leadoff homer and Cruz’s three-run blast highlighted a six-run eighth.

After his drive off Nicaragua reliever Stiven Cruz cleared the center-field wall, Caminero pumped his chest in jubilation as he pointed to the crowd while rounding the bases. Caminero was then mobbed by his teammates when he touched the plate.

The Dominican Republic padded the lead on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Seranthony Domínguez pitched the sixth for the win. Eight Dominican relievers threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings after starter Christopher Sánchez got only four outs.

Nicaragua chased Sánchez during a two-run second. Freddy Zamora hit an RBI double and scored from third on an error by left fielder Juan Soto to put Nicaragua ahead 3-2.

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While getting to pitch for Team Brazil in the best-on-best event is surely an incredible experience by itself for the 17-year-old right-hander, nothing may top his second-inning escape against the U.S.

With Brazil trailing 2-1, Contreras entered to open the frame and immediately forced all-star Byron Buxton to line out.

He then ran into some trouble, allowing Brice Turang, Bobby Witt Jr. and Bryce Harper all to reach, loading the bases for three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who had already homered in the first inning.

But instead of shying away from the moment, Contreras went right after the future Hall of Famer. The high-schooler began the plate appearance by getting Judge to swing through a 96.9 m.p.h. fastball at the top of the zone before missing inside with a changeup.

On the third pitch of the at-bat, Contreras ran a sinker in on Judge’s hands, drawing a swing from the American captain that splintered his bat and sent a weak ground ball to third for an inning-ending double play — sending the baseball world into a frenzy.

“I know I wasn’t doing that at 17 years old, that’s for sure,” Judge said post-game. “Just great stuff. I feel like he had some poise on the mound. He’s throwing up to 100 miles-per-hour. He’s facing Team USA, a lot of guys he’s probably seen on TV.

“It was just impressive to see him control himself out there and get out of a big jam.”

Contreras ultimately came back out for the third inning. He gave up a single to Kyle Schwarber, who eventually came around to score, induced a groundout off the bat of Alex Bregman and walked Cal Raleigh as his outing came to an end.

“It’s a big heater, you see it. It’s 95 to 97,” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa told Fox’s Ken Rosenthal of Contreras on the broadcast. “He’s got his dad’s split, obviously. What a position for him to be in right there. Bases loaded, (facing) Aaron Judge, and he’s able to get out of it.

“I would have liked to see another ball to go over the fence, but definitely impressive what he’s able to do.”

It’s a moment that would likely only be possible in a tournament like the WBC, where David frequently gets its shot at taking down Goliath.

For his part in the story, Contreras is certainly no slouch among his peers. MLB Pipeline has the six-foot-four hurler ranked as the No. 47 prospect for the upcoming draft. But it’d be hard to draw up a more lopsided matchup than Judge — owner of 368 career MLB home runs and numerous accolades — against a teenager who has yet to take 18 spins around the sun.

Contreras is also the son of former MLB all-star José Contreras, who spent 10 seasons in the majors and won the 2005 World Series with the Chicago White Sox.

There’s no doubt the baseball world will hear plenty more from Joseph as he prepares for the 2026 draft.

And for Toronto Blue Jays fans, perhaps the promising righty will end up north of the border.

Bob Elliott of Canadian Baseball Network reported Thursday that the Blue Jays have been evaluating Contreras in preparation for the draft. Toronto’s first selection in July comes at No. 39 after its run to the World Series.

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Guerrero had committed to play at the inaugural tournament in 2006, but after three of his cousins died in a car crash, he withdrew from the event.

He did, however, get to tell his son, Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., that he would get to suit up for their country at this year’s WBC.

“That’s the main thing for me, that I want to be there so he can see me,” said the younger Guerrero through Blue Jays translator Hector Lebron. “He can be there. He can see me play for the Dominicans.”

Guerrero is one of 12 players from the Blue Jays organization who will be playing in the international tournament that starts on Thursday. That includes Toronto’s entire major league infield with Guerrero playing first base for the D.R. 

Shortstop Andres Gimenez (Venezuela), shortstop Leo Jimenez (Panama), utility man Ernie Clement (United States), catcher Alejandro Kirk (Mexico), and third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (Japan) are also playing. 

Pitcher Yariel Rodriguez (Cuba) is the seventh player on the Blue Jays’ major league roster playing in the WBC.

Having a large chunk of Toronto’s roster leave for their international teams’ camps is a wrinkle that Guerrero and his teammates have never had to tackle before.

“I don’t have any idea about the challenges of leaving the team for the very first time that I go to the WBC,” said Guerrero on Feb. 16 when position players officially reported to the Blue Jays’ Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla. “But I worked very hard those seven weeks (after his father told him he’d play for the Dominican Republic) to prepare for the WBC and for spring training.”

Five minor leaguers from the organization are going too, including pitcher Adam Macko (Canada), outfielder RJ Schreck, catchers C.J. Stubbs (Israel) and Will Cresswell (Britain) and outfielder Ismael Munguia (Nicaragua).

Clement, who will also be playing in the WBC for the first time, said he was thrilled to be named to the U.S. roster.

“It’s been a dream of mine, ever since I kept up with the old Olympic hockey,” said Clement in Toronto’s spring training clubhouse. “Just to get a chance to represent the United States is a real honour and I’m so excited.”

Toronto will be one of the most heavily represented teams in the all-star tourney, with only eight teams sending more players. The New York Mets lead the way with 17 participants.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that having so many players leave camp early meant he and his coaching staff had to do some extra planning.

“We spent a lot of time in the off-season trying to figure out what’s right for everyone,” said Schneider when camp opened to pitchers and catchers on Feb. 11. “Really just individualizing it a little bit, trying to stay ahead of any adjustments you have to make, but not using that as a crutch by any means.”

The tournament begins on Thursday — late Wednesday in Canada — as Taiwan plays Australia at Japan’s Tokyo Dome. Canada’s first game of the event is against Colombia on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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“She had to leave it all behind, go figure out a life somewhere else. I heard stories of her sneaking through minefields. Ended up in Canada. Welcomed with open arms,” Jameson Taillon, the Chicago Cubs right-hander representing Canada for the second time in this World Baseball Classic, said of his grandmother. “I know without her escaping and without Canada welcoming her, there’s no my mom, there’s no me. It’s a crazy story.”

Honouring Kormendy, and the rest of his Canadian family, is why wearing the Maple Leaf is so meaningful for the Florida-born, Texas-raised 34-year-old, who starts Sunday evening against Panama (7 p.m. ET Sportsnet).

Escaping Hungary allowed Kormendy to build a new life in Toronto, enjoying a career in the Niagara wine industry and later working as a microbiology researcher at the University of Toronto. It’s where she had daughter Christie, who later married Michael, whose family is from St. Andrews West just outside of Cornwall, Ont. The couple visited each summer after moving to the United States, bringing Taillon and his siblings along.

The young Taillon didn’t always appreciate those trips north, especially when they meant missing some of his travel-ball tournaments, but “now I’m super grateful for those memories.”

“When you’re a kid and you hear talk about it all the time, I’m seven years old, it’s hard for me to understand,” he said. “As I’ve gotten older and gained perspective, you really understand what she went through and how she’s the matriarch of our family. It’s just really cool.”

Kormendy saw Taillon pitch for Canada at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, when as a 21-year-old out of double-A allowed two runs, one earned in four innings versus a powerhouse American lineup, and he’ll be thinking of her during his first national team outing since.

“I always, in my heart, knew I wanted to play for Team Canada again, I was just waiting for the right time,” said Taillon. “In ‘23, I was in my first year with the Cubs. In 2017, I was just breaking into the big-leagues and this year, it’s like, I can’t miss this opportunity to represent my family.”

Last go for Espino

The 2024 season, when Paolo Espino pitched in three games for the Toronto Blue Jays, turned out to be the last of the right-hander’s 20 years in affiliated baseball. At that point in time, the prospect of pitching for Panama a third time in World Baseball Classic was a motivator to keep going, and as it turned out, the perfect spot to cap his days on the mound.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “Pitching the Classic was one of the things that I’m like, man, if I’m ever going to retire, I think it has to be after WBC representing my country. I think this is what gave me the strength to finally do it.”

Espino will walk away having pitched parts of six seasons in the majors, mostly with Washington, and 2,350.2 innings logged over 582 games from indy ball to The Show, as colleague Arden Zwelling detailed back in 2024.

Canada expected him to be a candidate to start against them Sunday, but Panama will instead go with Jamie Barria. Once all is said and done at the Classic, Espino isn’t yet sure what he’ll do next.

“I don’t have plans right now. I don’t have any jobs that I can do right after this, but of course I definitely want to stay in baseball,” he said. “I will be reaching out to see what’s going to be next. I’m going to be open to do anything related to baseball. So I’m excited.”

Dialing it up for the WBC

Yadier Molina, the St. Louis Cardinals catching great managing the Puerto Rican national team, offered an interesting insight on players in the Classic, describing some as regular-season players and others as tournament players.

The difference?

“My experience is like, when you put this uniform on, the Puerto Rico jersey, it’s a different feeling,” he replied. “So it’s the level of play, how you care. When you play a season, it’s 162 games. In the tournament, it’s like one week, maybe two. It’s a different feel.

“You’re going to find different guys that care more about this (pointing to his jersey), especially the older guys, the ones that are coming out for the game. They care to put on a really good show for this.”

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When they finally did, the Naylor brothers set the tone with their defensive play as Soroka settled in and Owen Caissie delivered a key early blow with a two-run homer before the offence added late in an 8-2 victory over Colombia on Saturday.

“I felt like we let it rip early and often,” said Soroka.

No doubt, and that included shaking off a last-minute Colombian pitching change revealed during the meeting between managers and umpires at the plate, with Texas Rangers farmhand Austin Bergner subbed in for former big-leaguer Julio Teheran, whom the club said had been diagnosed with a shoulder impingement that flared up during warmups.

“Sometimes you see in international play the little trickery that goes on, but I wouldn’t think that from Jose (Mosquera),” manager Ernie Whitt said of his Colombian counterpart. “It was honest.”

No matter, the result gave the Canadians firm control of their fate heading into their Sunday clash with Panama, when Jameson Taillon gets the ball, while the Colombians, at 0-2, are suddenly on the precipice.

Fates can, of course, change quickly amid the unpredictability of small-sample sizes in a mid-spring timeframe, which is why the Canadians will be most pleased by the repeatable elements — strong work in the field, strike-throwing on the mound, tenacious at-bats — of their opening victory. 

“We emphasized taking care of the baseball, taking care of the little things because over the whole game, those things add up, and they make the difference through nine,” said Bo Naylor, key on all fronts in this one. “It’s just a matter of playing the game the right way and continuing to play the game that we know how to play.”

The Colombians helped some of that along as they squandered a promising first, when Michael Arroyo at third with one out, charged home on Reynaldo Rodriguez’s grounder to first. Josh Naylor fielded it clean, relayed to his brother at home for an easy second out and Bo Naylor then threw out Rodriguez trying to steal second to end the frame.

Undeterred, Colombia tested the Cleveland Guardians catcher again the next inning and when Jesus Marriaga was cut down comfortably, ending consecutive innings with an out at second.

“We knew coming in this team was going to run a little bit, they were going to play small ball and push the ball the other way,” said Soroka. “Bo did a good job getting rid of it and finding those outs, which was huge.”

Canada got rolling in the second when Abraham Toro dunked a hustle double into left field and an out later, Caissie sent a hanging curveball from Bergner 403 feet to right field, directly to a pair of fans holding a Canadian flag.

“Give the boys a little push start. It never really hurts,” said Caissie. “Getting on the board first in these tournaments really matters. Our gameplan was short, but it worked, I guess.”

Soroka, making his long-awaited return to the senior national team, gave one back in the third on Arroyo’s RBI single, but Canada got that back in bottom half on Toro’s bases-loaded walk and added another in the seventh when Josh Naylor’s RBI single cashed in Denzel Clarke, whose fly ball to right was dropped by Marriaga for a two-base error.

But the Canadians ran themselves out of more that inning on a delayed double steal that resulted in Edouard Julien getting thrown out at home and then exacerbated things in the eighth, when Clarke’s wild relay on Harold Ramirez’s double prevented a potential out at the plate when Arroyo stumbled near the dirt.

The Colombians proceeded to put on the go-ahead run against Micah Ashman but manager Ernie Whitt turned to Royals prospect Eric Cerantola and he threw three straight sliders to Gio Urshela to escape the jam.

“Obviously it was a big spot, but it’s all about executing the pitch,” said Cerantola, who’s being groomed. “And after the first couple swings, I had a good idea of what we saw there. It was just go out there, execute and take the the big moment out of it.”

Canada doubled down in the bottom half, as Tyler Black walked, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Daniel Vellojin’s throwing error and scored easy on Toro’s triple to right-centre field. Bo Naylor then cashed him in with a single, Clarke added a sacrifice fly and O’Neill a bases-loaded walk that really padded the advantage.

“Our lineup 1-to-9 is deadly — the pitchers never get a break,” said Caissie. “Eventually we’re going to break through and we showed that today.”

That gave Cerantola way more breathing room than he had when he came on, recorded two more outs before Phillippe Aumont got the final out, capping a solid pitching performance that also included three shutout frames in the middle innings from Noah Skirrow.

Skirrow threw only 38 pitches, which gives him a chance to come back and pitch again this round.

“Being efficient is huge,” he said of the keys to pitching in the Classic. “Limiting your walks as much as possible, walks will come back to kill you, it’s not getting any movement on the field. You want to try and induce contact as quickly possible and if you get to two strikes, finish the at-bat. Try and stretch the restrictions that we have with pitch counts and make the most of it. For Soroka to get through three there helped a lot.”

Soroka’s final two fastballs of the outing touched 97.2 m.p.h before he froze Rodriguez with a breaking ball to escape a jam in the third, a moment he savoured in an outing he thoroughly enjoyed.

“Right at the end, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “They’ve got the three-hole hitter up. It’s just bats and balls and your stuff versus theirs at that moment. Just enjoy the opportunity to be able to represent the country and do them justice with how you want to battle. … Just continue to do it, hopefully in the next round.”

Whitt then interjected: “I’m looking forward to his next start in Houston.”

A strong first game helps put Canada on its way.

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While with the Arizona Diamondbacks, for instance, a friend made him a custom hockey top with the NL West club’s logo that he often wore during warmups. Now that he’s with the Seattle Mariners, his collection is filled with a selection of local-team unis, from the PWHL’s Torrent and WNBA’s Storm to the departed SuperSonics.

At the World Baseball Classic, the national team captain from Mississauga, Ont., is rocking a carefully curated set of Canadian hockey tops, including a 1987 Canada Cup Wayne Gretzky he wore during Friday’s practice at Estadio Roberto Clemente.

“I like representing great players, current and alumni players, so I brought a ton of jerseys I had back home,” Naylor said after the workout in preparation for Saturday’s opener against Colombia. “I don’t want to expose which ones I have just yet. This was one of them. I have, like, five more, all Canada hockey. I love this jersey. It’s really cool. I tried do three or four different eras, classic or (various) Canada tournaments.”

Like the No. 99 shirt he wore Friday, his national team jersey at the WBC will also have a captain’s C on it, named to the role by manager Ernie Whitt and the Baseball Canada brain-trust. Most teams at the tournament selected captains at Major League Baseball’s suggestion and Naylor was a natural choice for his fire, fearlessness and aggressive play.

As third-base coach Stubby Clapp put it, “pardon my English, but he comes to kick ass every day. That’s what you want in your leader. Because whatever he does everybody’s going to follow.”

Whitt, in English that needed no pardoning, agreed, saying Naylor’s approach on the field is “absolutely the stuff that we want,” even if the club’s leadership group extends beyond the 28-year-old.

“I talked to Tyler (O’Neill) also, I said, you handle the outfielders, Josh, you handle the infielders and the whole team, and (James) Paxton, you handle the pitching staff. You delegate it out with them,” continued Whitt, who also urged the team’s younger players to lean on the vets, telling them, “we’ve got all kinds of knowledge here for you, don’t be afraid to reach out to them.”

Naylor said he was “humbled” at being named captain, having played on the junior national team growing up, watching his brothers Bo, the catcher on this Canadian team, and Myles, a prospect in the Athletics system on track for future clubs, follow on his footsteps, and now preparing for his second WBC.

“I’m very thankful to represent my childhood in that form and then represent those who came before me,” said Naylor. “But I think everyone, in their own way, can be a captain. Everyone can lead as an individual. Hold yourself accountable. Work hard, play hard, practice hard. Just because I have the C on it doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t have a responsibility or the accountability to be a captain on their own.”

Whitt wholly agrees with that sentiment, which is why he thinks captaincies in baseball are unnecessary. 

“If you need a captain to motivate you, then something’s really wrong,” he explained. “In hockey, I know they do it all the time and they have that guy. But you as an individual, you have to look in the mirror at the end of the day and say, ‘Did I give it my best?’ I know with Josh, he does that.”

Clapp, a part of the national team program since playing at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, described wearing a C as “immaterial” in baseball.

“There’s always a captain in the clubhouse, per se, whether there’s an actual letter on the jersey or not, everybody knows who the guy is,” he explained. “You put a C on a jersey for everybody to see it, that’s more visual, I guess. It’s obviously more traditional for hockey to see the C and it would be cool if we put the C on Josh’s jersey and the A on everybody else. That would be that would be kind of cool. But he’s deserving of it. 

“He represents us really well.”

Fundamental focus

Canada ran through a series of fundamental drills atop the usual rounds of batting practice and bullpens Friday, trying to get tight in the field ahead of their opener.

They worked on everything from who handles relay throws from the outfield to wheel plays on bunts to handling potential delayed double steals, seeking uniformity in work that can vary from organization to organization. 

“We had one practice (Monday) where we went over some stuff and then we had two of the exhibition games and we screwed up some stuff, so I said, well, this is going to be a perfect day just to clean it up a little bit,” said Ernie Whitt. “Everyone knows how important it is to execute these plays that could happen and not give the other team extra outs. You give the other team extra outs, they have a chance to score, it builds up the pitchers’ (pitch) counts, all those things really come into play. So it’s very important in these tournaments.”

Panama Pride

Before taking the field Thursday in Panama’s 3-1 loss to Cuba in the Pool A opener, Leo Jimenez last wore his country’s colours as a 15-year-old at a junior world championship in Japan. He’s 24 now, turning 25 on May 17, and is on the bubble of the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster now, a major progression far from lost on the infielder.

“It makes me happy that I’m representing Panama now on the biggest world stage, against the best players in the world,” he said after going 0-for-2 with a walk. “It’s a huge jump from 15 years old to now but it’s part of the development I’ve had as a player and it’s awesome. I’m enjoying every single thing.”

He doesn’t believe anyone else from that team a decade ago is here in San Juan with him now, but did play travel ball at the age of 12 with Enrique Bradfield Jr. While he didn’t collect a hit Friday, Jimenez did hit a groundball to the right side that moved Leo Bernal to third ahead of Johan Camargo’s RBI single for Panama’s only run.  

Jimenez did not face Blue Jays teammate Yariel Rodriguez, who followed Cuban starter Livan Moinelo with 2.1 innings of no-hit, no-walk ball, while striking out three on only 27 pitches. Rodriguez got up to 96.6 m.p.h.

“It was just funny to be there and see him pitch,” said Jimenez. “I told him in Dunedin, ‘When we play against each other, we are enemies, you know? I’m not even talking to you that day, I’m not even saying, ‘hey.’ At the end of the day, I just texted him, ‘Great game, keep going.’ He texted the same thing back. That’s what baseball’s all about. Being enemies in the field and then being back to normal whenever the game is done.”

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The pitching staff has plenty of talent, too, but pitching at the WBC is heavily complicated by limitations on individual workloads and plans for ramping up to an MLB season. The position player side is where the tournament captures the best-on-best feel, as countries can assemble a collection of their biggest names without notable restrictions. 

In the case of Team USA, the 2026 group is a star-studded unit built around the top three players in the majors last season by fWAR (Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and Bobby Witt Jr.). The lineup could change on a game-to-game basis slightly, but the best group is probably this one:

C – Cal Raleigh
1B – Bryce Harper
2B – Gunnar Henderson
SS – Bobby Witt Jr.
3B – Alex Bregman
LF – Roman Anthony
CF – Byron Buxton
RF – Aaron Judge
DH – Kyle Schwarber

That’s a lot of star power, and if you’re wondering if that’s one of the best lineups you’ve ever seen, that instinct might be wrong. It is a fair expectation that the country that produces the most MLB players would be able to put together a great lineup, but this could be on another level. The nine players above combined to produce the following line in 2025: 

That collective production is pretty similar to Ketel Marte in 2025 (.283/.376/.517, 145 wRC+), a star hitter in the midst of one of his best seasons. A lineup of nine Martes would be a juggernaut, and that’s close to what we’re seeing here. 

The question is worth asking is where it ranks among the best nine hitters ever put on a lineup card? It’s probably worth acknowledging that if you’re reading this on Sportsnet.ca, that answer may not be of interest to you because you’re likely to cheer for Team USA — for a variety of understandable reasons.   

Jumping down this rabbit hole is for the pure baseball purist, or perhaps gaining a better understanding of how impressive it could be for another team to pull an upset against this American group, an outcome that you may find desirable — once again, for understandable reasons.  

Is this the best USA team ever?

When trying to figure out just how great this lineup looks, the first obvious comparison point is other groups the Americans have brought to the WBC. Looking at MLB numbers, the lineup in the last game Team USA used in each of the previous five tournaments produced in the prior season (like we did above) yields these results:

The inaugural group built around veterans like Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. was excellent — as was the last version we’ve seen, but the 2026 lineup is notably better on paper by wRC+. That’s the primary number we’re going to use here because of its value as an all-around offensive production statistic, and the fact that it is calibrated to league averages, making it a good number for comparing across eras. In un-adjusted terms, the 2006 WBC team had better numbers than the 2026 lineup, but those numbers were produced in a more offence-friendly era.

Comparing to other WBC teams isn’t really feasible here as the vast majority are made from exclusively MLB players, which makes one-to-one comparisons. Perhaps there is an argument that one of Japan’s WBC-winning lineups was the best we’ve seen in recent history, but it’s also not unreasonable to say that MLB is the sport’s top league, and it’s unlikely a group of primarily NPB stars fits the bill.

The Dominican Republic has fielded some MLB-only squads of excellent hitters in recent tournaments, but not quite at the Americans’ level by these measures. The 2023 squad had a 130 wRC+ together in the previous MLB season, and this year’s group only features one player with a wRC+ above the Team USA standard (Juan Soto).

All of that is to say this is almost certainly the best WBC lineup that’s been assembled in the relatively short history of the tournament.

But is it better than any MLB lineup we’ve ever seen?

It would seem fair to assume there’s never been an MLB team that matches the star-studded group the Americans have assembled. However, the recent addition of Negro League statistics to the major-league record makes it hard to say that definitively.

Between 1925 and 1930, the St. Louis Stars posted five of the nine best team wRC+ ever recorded, ranging from 128 in 1927 to the all-time highest mark of 138 in 1928. For reference, the much-lauded 1927 ‘Murderers’ Row’ New York Yankees managed a 125 wRC+, the 14th-best ever.

Those numbers improve significantly if we remove hitting pitchers, as the Stars did not play with a DH. That tweak means two of their seasons (1928 and 1926) come above the 146 wRC+ of the 2026 USA team — the only two such campaigns of the 3,450 teams that have competed in major-league history.

Considering how much progress has been made in a variety of fields, from nutrition to training over the last century, it would be tough to claim that the 1926 and 1928 Stars lineups anchored by Hall of Famers Mule Sutton, Willie Wells and Cool Papa Bell were truly the best of all time — but no one was better compared to their peers.

If we want to find an even remotely modern comparison, the best team wRC+ since the conclusion of World War II is the 2023 Atlanta Braves at 126. In other words, no one has been close remotely recently.

What about All-Star Lineups?

A World Baseball Classic team that draws on a player pool as deep as the Americans have is essentially an all-star team. The question is whether this one rises above the groups we’ve seen in recent MLB All-Star Games.

We don’t have to go back far in history to run into a roadblock to the idea that the 2026 American WBC lineup could be the best lineup of all time, or even the 21st century. That roadblock is named Barry Bonds.

Bonds was so dominant between 2001 and 2004 (232 wRC+) that the National League All-Star lineups he was a part of matched or bested this 2026 WBC lineup a couple of times.

In 2002, the starting NL All-Stars had a matching 146 wRC+ the season before and entered the game itself with a collective 150 mark.

The lineup with the best claim to the title ‘best lineup of the 21st century’ is the 2004 NL All-Stars. They outperformed this WBC group in the full season before the All-Star Game (148 wRC+) and matched them in the first half of 2004 (146 wRC+). If only for the ‘remember-some-guys’ value, here’s what that group looked like:

SS – Édgar Rentería
1B – Albert Pujols
LF – Barry Bonds
3B – Scott Rolen
RF – Sammy Sosa
C – Mike Piazza
CF – Lance Berkman
2B – Jeff Kent

If we narrow it down to the last 10 years, we find that several groups hit the All-Star Game with a better wRC+ than the 146 of this 2026 WBC team, but none of them managed that in a full season the prior year.

If we were going to flag a lineup in this group that threatens what we’ll see at the WBC for the completely fake title of ‘best lineup of that last 10 years, it would be the 2018 AL All-Stars.

Not only do they have the best full-season wRC+ of this sample of 20 lineups (141) and a stellar first-half number (152) in 2018, but the names are impressive:

RF – Mookie Betts
2B – Jose Altuve
CF – Mike Trout
DH – J.D. Martinez
3B – José Ramírez
RF – Aaron Judge
SS – Manny Machado
1B – José Abreu
C – Salvador Perez

That group has won eight of the last 10 AL MVPs, with the other two going to Shohei Ohtani and includes seven probable Hall of Famers and two sluggers in Martine and Abreu, who were among MLB’s most intimidating hitters at the time.

The biggest reason they don’t have a clear edge over the 2026 WBC team is Perez, who was coming off a middling offensive season (102 wRC+) and was awful at the plate in the first half of 2018 (72 wRC+).

Where are we landing here?

A fair question.

Even though wRC+ is a fantastic statistic for this type of exercise, as a tool, it’s probably not precise enough to make definitive statements like ‘this is the best lineup of all time’, or ‘this is the best nine hitters put together in the 21st century’.

A couple of the Bonds All-Star teams have a wRC+ edge on this group, and the 2018 AL All-Stars feel stronger, even if you could argue the statistical case either way.

The 2026 Team USA lineup is a cut above any MLB lineup we’ve seen in the modern era and any group the Americans have brought to the tournament before. It’s better than the majority of All-Star Teams we’ve seen recently, but not by enough that it is clearly the best lineup of the 21st century or even the last 10 years.

It is still an exciting collection of talent. The type that doesn’t come around very often in any competitive context. For some, it will be fun simply watching a lineup like go to work. For a larger group of fans, the fun will come in seeing if there’s a nation at the WBC that has what it takes to silence such a highly-touted group.

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