kids encyclopedia robot

World Baseball Classic facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
World Baseball Classic
WBC 2023 Trophy.jpg
Sport Baseball
Founded 2005; 20 years ago
Inaugural season 2006
Administrator
No. of teams 20 in Tournament
8 in Qualification
Country WBSC member
Region Worldwide
Most recent
champion(s)
JPN (2023)
Most titles JPN (3 titles)

The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also known as the Classic, is a big international baseball tournament. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) approves it. This group is in charge of baseball around the world. Major League Baseball (MLB) also helps organize it.

The winning team gets the World Baseball Classic Championship Trophy. The WBC is one of the two main baseball tournaments for adult players. It is the only one that gives the winner the title of "world champion."

MLB first suggested the tournament in 2005. The first Classic was held in 2006. Before 2011, there were other world baseball events. These included Olympic baseball and the Baseball World Cup. The Baseball World Cup stopped after 2011. The WBC then became the official world championship. This happened because it agreed to have qualifying rounds and follow anti-doping rules.

The World Baseball Classic usually happens every four years. It has been held five times so far. These were from 2006 to 2023. Teams from Japan, the Dominican Republic, and the United States have won the championship. Japan is the only team to win more than once.

This tournament is special because it features professional players. These players come from top leagues worldwide. This includes Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The WBC lets the best players compete for their home countries. It also helps make baseball more popular around the world. The 2023 World Baseball Classic was one of the most-watched sports events globally.

How the Classic Started

1951 cuba baseball team
The Cuban national team in 1951. Cuba won many international titles back then.

Before the World Baseball Classic, there was no single big international baseball championship. Not all top players could join. The "world championship" was the Baseball World Cup. This event was held many times from 1938 to 2011. It was first called the Amateur World Series.

The first Amateur World Series was in 1938. Great Britain played against the United States. Great Britain won that series. Baseball was also played at the Summer Olympic Games. It became a medal sport in 1992.

The Baseball World Cup allowed professional players in the 1990s. But most major league players did not take part. People had thought about a tournament with top pros since the mid-1990s. The first World Baseball Classic was announced on May 11, 2005. Its success in 2006 led to plans for another one in 2009.

In 2013, the group that ran the Baseball World Cup joined with another group. They formed the World Baseball Softball Confederation. This new group then stopped the Baseball World Cup. This made the World Baseball Classic the main world championship for baseball.

History of the World Baseball Classic

Bud Selig on October 31, 2010
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig helped start the WBC.

The first World Baseball Classic was announced in May 2005. Bud Selig, the head of Major League Baseball, made the announcement. MLB had tried to create this tournament for years. But team owners and the players' union had concerns.

Team owners worried about their star players getting hurt. This could happen before the regular season began. The players' union also worried about injuries. Their main concern was about drug testing rules. MLB wanted stricter Olympic rules. The union wanted the rules used in MLB at the time.

They eventually agreed on player insurance and drug testing rules. MLB teams could not stop their players from joining. Japanese baseball (NPB) also had talks about joining. They worried about the tournament's timing. After four months, NPB agreed to take part.

Early Championships: Japan Wins Twice

The first 2006 tournament had 16 teams. These were chosen as the "best baseball-playing nations." There were no qualifying games. Teams played in groups, then had single-elimination games.

South Korea beat Chinese Taipei 2-0 in the first WBC game. This was on March 3, 2006, in Tokyo. South Korea reached the semifinals with a perfect record. But they lost to Japan. Cuba beat the Dominican Republic in the other semifinal. Japan and Cuba played in the final game. Japan won 10-6.

After this, Daisuke Matsuzaka became very famous. He was Japan's pitcher. He later joined the Boston Red Sox.

The 2009 tournament had the same 16 teams. The group play format changed to a modified double-elimination. The Netherlands surprised everyone by beating the Dominican Republic twice. They reached the second round.

In the semifinals, South Korea beat Venezuela. Japan beat the United States. Japan and South Korea played in the final. Japan won a close game 5-3 in 10 innings. They defended their 2006 championship. Daisuke Matsuzaka was named the tournament's best player again. He was the first to win MVP twice.

2013: Dominican Republic's Perfect Run

DR vs PR. World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic championship between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

The 2013 tournament was the first to have a qualifying round. Four teams from 2009 had to play to get back in. Brazil and Spain joined the WBC for the first time. The group stage went back to a round-robin format.

South Korea needed to win by at least five runs in their last game. They wanted to advance. They won by only one run. Chinese Taipei moved on instead. Italy was a big surprise. They made it to the second round by beating Canada and Mexico.

The final game was between two Caribbean teams: the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic won 3-0. They became the first team to win the World Baseball Classic without losing any games.

Robinson Canó was named the Most Valuable Player. He had 15 hits, which was the most in tournament history. Fans loved watching this game. In Puerto Rico, nearly three-fourths of all homes watched the final.

2017: USA Wins for the First Time

Play Ball Ballpark (48262401092)
The Classic Trophy from 2013-2017.

The 2017 tournament used the 2006 format again. Both the first and second rounds were round-robin. Colombia and Israel played for the first time. Team Israel, with many Jewish American players, was seen as a big underdog.

The defending champions, the Dominican Republic, had an 11-game winning streak. But they were knocked out in the second round. The United States won its first WBC championship. They beat Japan in the semifinals and Puerto Rico in the finals. Puerto Rico had reached the final without losing a game.

In the final game, Marcus Stroman pitched for the United States. He did not allow any hits for the first six innings. The United States scored eight runs. They shut out Puerto Rico 8-0 to win the championship. Stroman was named the Most Valuable Player.

2023: Japan Wins Again in a Big Final

In 2020, MLB said the 2021 WBC would have 20 teams. But the tournament was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next World Baseball Classic was then planned for 2023. Nicaragua earned the last spot in the qualifying rounds. The tournament took place from March 8 to March 21, 2023.

Many MLB stars decided to play in the 2023 Classic. Mike Trout joined Team USA. This encouraged other top players like Trea Turner and Mookie Betts to play. Japan also had a team full of stars. This included Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, and Masataka Yoshida. Many thought this was the strongest Japanese team ever.

The United States beat Venezuela. They then faced Cuba in the semifinals. Baseball is very popular in Cuba. So, this was a big game. Japan played against Mexico. Mexico was having a surprise run, led by Randy Arozarena.

The United States beat Cuba easily in the semifinals. Then, they faced their big rival, Japan, in the final. The final was hugely popular in Japan. Over 54 million Japanese viewers watched it.

In the ninth inning, Japan was leading 3-2. Japan's Shohei Ohtani was pitching. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball. His Angels teammate, Mike Trout, was batting for the US. Trout is considered one of the greatest players ever. Ohtani struck out Trout to win the game for Japan. Japan became the second team to win the WBC without losing a game. The Dominican Republic did this in 2013.

The Next Tournament: 2026 Classic

The next World Baseball Classic will be in 2026. Sixteen teams have already qualified. These are the top four teams from each group in the 2023 tournament. The other four teams will join through qualifying games in 2025.

The pool play rounds will be held in Miami, Houston, San Juan, and Tokyo. The quarterfinals will be in Miami and Houston. The final round will be played in Miami.

How the Tournament Works

The World Baseball Classic happens in March. This is when most professional baseball leagues have their spring training. Games are played in indoor stadiums or outdoor stadiums with warm weather.

Number of MLB 26-man players by country (2022)
Rank Country (or possession) %
1 United States 1,057 70.7%
2 Dominican Republic 171 11.4%
3 Venezuela 106 7.1%
4 Cuba 33 2.2%
5 Puerto Rico 28 1.9%
6 Mexico 24 1.6%
7 Canada 15 1%
8 Colombia 13 0.9%
9 Panama 9 0.6% 10 Japan 7 0.5%
11 South Korea 6 0.4%
12 Curaçao 5 0.3%
13 Australia
Germany
3 0.2%
15 Multiple 2 0.1%
18 Multiple 1 0.1%

Many top baseball players join the tournament. This includes strong batters from around the world. Some elite pitchers might not play. This is due to limits set by their teams or insurance issues.

In 2006, many high-level players took part. These included Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. from the US. From Japan, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki played. Other stars came from Cuba and the Dominican Republic. The 2009 Classic also had many famous players.

For the 2013 tournament, Japanese players almost boycotted. They were concerned about money from sponsors. They later agreed to play. Many key Japanese players from 2009 did not join. But other famous MLB players did. These included Miguel Cabrera and David Wright.

In 2017, former All-Stars like Adam Jones and Buster Posey played for the United States. The Dominican Republic had stars like Robinson Canó and Manny Machado. Puerto Rico had Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltrán. Venezuela's team included José Altuve and Miguel Cabrera.

In 2023, the US team had many All-Stars. These included Mike Trout and Nolan Arenado. Players like Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman played for Japan and South Korea. They honored their mothers' backgrounds. Freddie Freeman played for Canada to honor his late mother. Randy Arozarena, who is Cuban, played for Mexico. This was allowed because he was a legal resident there.

Who Participates

The first two Classics had 16 invited teams. A qualifying round was added for the 2013 tournament. This round happens the year before the main WBC. Brazil and Spain were the first new countries to qualify. Seven new nations have played in the WBC thanks to qualifying.

For the 2013 and 2017 WBCs, the top 12 teams from the last WBC automatically qualified. The four lowest teams had to play in the qualifying round. This round had four tournaments with four teams each. The winners got the last spots in the main tournament.

The 2023 WBC grew to 20 teams. So, the qualifying rules changed. All 16 teams from the 2017 WBC automatically qualified. The new qualifying round had two tournaments with six teams each. The top two teams from each tournament moved on to the 2023 WBC.

Teams in the Tournament

Team WBSC Rank
(as of February 2024)
Member of
WBSC since
Membership IOC
member
Note
JPN Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 1 1949 Full Yes
USA Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 3 1978 Full Yes
MEX Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 2 1987 Full Yes
CUB Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 8 1938 Full Yes
VEN Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 6 1952 Full Yes
PUR Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 12 1970 Full Yes
AUS Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 11 1913 Full Yes
ITA Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 14 1969 Full Yes
DR Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 9 1966 Full Yes
NED Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 7 1969 Full Yes
CAN Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 16 1964 Full Yes
KOR Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 4 1946 Full Yes
ISR Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 19 1995 Full Yes
PAN Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 10 1944 Full Yes
GBR Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 18 1960 Full Yes
CZ Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 15 1992 Full Yes
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Teams in Qualification

Team WBSC Rank
(as of February 2024)
Member of
WBSC since
Membership IOC
member
Note
COL Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 13 1938 Full Yes
TPE Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 5 1973 Full Yes
NCA Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 20 1950 Full Yes
CHN Disc Plain yellow dark.svg 24 1979 Full Yes
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

World Baseball Classic Venues

Unlike other tournaments with one host country, the WBC uses many hosts. Games are played in Asia, Latin America, and the United States. The championship round has always been held in MLB stadiums in the United States.


Round 2006 2009 2013 2017 2023 2026 2030
Qualification Germany Regensburg
Panama Panama City
Taiwan New Taipei City
United States Jupiter
Australia Sydney
Panama Panama City
Mexico Mexicali
United States New York City
Germany Regensburg
Panama Panama City
Pool stage Japan Tokyo
Puerto Rico San Juan
United States Orlando
United States Phoenix
United States Scottsdale
Canada Toronto
Japan Tokyo
Mexico Mexico City
Puerto Rico San Juan
Japan Fukuoka
Puerto Rico San Juan
Taiwan Taichung
United States Phoenix
United States Scottsdale
Japan Tokyo
Mexico Zapopan
South Korea Seoul
United States Miami
Japan Tokyo
Taiwan Taichung
United States Miami
United States Phoenix
Japan Tokyo
Puerto Rico San Juan
United States Miami
United States Houston
Knockout stage Puerto Rico San Juan
United States Anaheim
United States San Diego
United States Miami
Japan Tokyo
United States Miami
Japan Tokyo
United States San Diego
Japan Tokyo
United States Miami
United States Houston
United States Miami
Championship United States San Diego United States Los Angeles United States San Francisco United States Los Angeles United States Miami United States Miami

Tournament Results

Keys
  • F/N: result/match won after extra innings or mercy rule, where N is the total number of innings in the match
  • TBD: to be determined
Ed. Year Hosts First place game Semi-finalists Num.
teams
1 Champion Score 2 Runner-up 3 Third Fourth
1 2006  United States
 Japan
 Puerto Rico

Japan
10–6
Petco Park, San Diego

Cuba

South Korea

Dominican Republic
16
2 2009  United States
 Canada
 Japan
 Mexico
 Puerto Rico

Japan
5–3
(F/10)
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

South Korea

United States

Venezuela
16
3 2013  United States
 Japan
 Puerto Rico
TPE

Dominican Republic
3–0
AT&T Park, San Francisco

Puerto Rico

Japan

Netherlands
16
4 2017  United States
 Japan
 Mexico
 South Korea

United States
8–0
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Puerto Rico

Japan

Netherlands
16
5 2023  United States
 Japan
TPE

Japan
3–2
LoanDepot Park, Miami

United States

Mexico

Cuba
20
6 2026  United States
 Japan
Puerto Rico
Future event 20
7 2030 Future event

Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player (MVP)

WBC2006 Daisuke Matsuzaka (cropped)
Daisuke Matsuzaka is the only player to win the WBC MVP twice.

The first MVP award winner in 2006 was Daisuke Matsuzaka from Japan. He pitched 13 innings and had a 3-0 record. After this, Matsuzaka signed a big contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Matsuzaka won the MVP again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He finished with a 3-0 record and a 2.54 ERA. In 2013, Robinson Canó won MVP. He hit .469 with two home runs.

Marcus Stroman, a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, won the award in 2017. He pitched very well for the United States. He did not allow any hits through six innings in the 8-0 final win. In 2023, Shohei Ohtani from the Los Angeles Angels won MVP. He is a "two-way" player, meaning he pitches and hits. He had amazing stats as both a hitter and a pitcher. He also pitched the final inning of Japan's win.

Year Player Position Nationality
2006 Matsuzaka, DaisukeDaisuke Matsuzaka Starting pitcher Japan Japan
2009 Matsuzaka, DaisukeDaisuke Matsuzaka Starting pitcher Japan Japan
2013 Canó, RobinsonRobinson Canó Second baseman Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
2017 Stroman, MarcusMarcus Stroman Starting pitcher United States United States
2023 Ohtani, ShoheiShohei Ohtani Starting pitcher
Designated hitter
Japan Japan

All-WBC Teams

After each World Baseball Classic, an "all-star" team is chosen. This team includes the best players from the tournament. It has three pitchers, eight other players (one for each position), and a designated hitter.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan), Yadier Molina (Puerto Rico), and Javier Báez (Puerto Rico) have been named to the All-WBC team twice. Shohei Ohtani is the only player to be named to the team for two different positions. He was chosen as both a designated hitter and a pitcher in 2023.

Pos. 2006 2009 2013 2017 2023
C Japan Tomoya Satozaki Puerto Rico Iván Rodríguez Puerto Rico Yadier Molina Puerto Rico Yadier Molina Venezuela Salvador Pérez
1B South Korea Seung-yuop Lee South Korea Tae-kyun Kim Dominican Republic Edwin Encarnación United States Eric Hosmer Chinese Taipei Yu Chang
2B Cuba Yulieski Gourriel Venezuela José López Dominican Republic Robinson Canó Puerto Rico Javier Báez Puerto Rico Javier Báez
3B Dominican Republic Adrián Beltré South Korea Bum-ho Lee United States David Wright Puerto Rico Carlos Correa Cuba Yoán Moncada
SS United States Derek Jeter United States Jimmy Rollins Dominican Republic José Reyes Puerto Rico Francisco Lindor United States Trea Turner
OF United States Ken Griffey Jr. Japan Norichika Aoki Dominican Republic Nelson Cruz Netherlands Wladimir Balentien Mexico Randy Arozarena
South Korea Jong-beom Lee Cuba Frederich Cepeda Puerto Rico Ángel Pagán Dominican Republic Gregory Polanco United States Mike Trout
Japan Ichiro Suzuki Cuba Yoenis Céspedes Canada Michael Saunders United States Christian Yelich Japan Masataka Yoshida
DH Cuba Yoandy Garlobo South Korea Hyun-soo Kim Japan Hirokazu Ibata Puerto Rico Carlos Beltrán Japan Shohei Ohtani
P Cuba Yadel Martí South Korea Jung-keun Bong Puerto Rico Nelson Figueroa Japan Kodai Senga Japan Shohei Ohtani
Japan Daisuke Matsuzaka Japan Hisashi Iwakuma Japan Kenta Maeda United States Marcus Stroman Mexico Patrick Sandoval
South Korea Chan Ho Park Japan Daisuke Matsuzaka Dominican Republic Fernando Rodney Israel Josh Zeid Cuba Romero , MiguelMiguel Romero

Players from 12 countries have been named to an All-WBC team. Japan has the most players with 12.

Yadier Molina (cropped)
Yadier Molina from Puerto Rico has been on the All-WBC Team twice.

Images for kids

See Also

  • World Baseball Classic Inc.
  • World Baseball Classic Trophy
  • Major League Baseball
  • Major League Baseball Players Association
  • World Baseball Softball Confederation
  • WBSC Americas
  • WBSC Asia
  • WBSC Europe
  • WBSC Oceania
  • WBSC Africa
  • Bud Selig
  • Rob Manfred
  • Riccardo Fraccari
  • Fox Deportes
  • MLB International
  • MLB on Fox
  • MLB on FS1
  • Kodak World Baseball Classic, a 1972 minor league tournament with the same name
  • Baseball awards § World
kids search engine
World Baseball Classic Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.