World Baseball Classic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
World Baseball Classic

Sport	Baseball
Founded	2005; 20 years ago
Inaugural season	2006
Administrator	WBCI WBSC
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

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

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

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

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.

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

Flag of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

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	1	1949	Full	Yes
USA	3	1978	Full	Yes
MEX	2	1987	Full	Yes
CUB	8	1938	Full	Yes
VEN	6	1952	Full	Yes
PUR	12	1970	Full	Yes
AUS	11	1913	Full	Yes
ITA	14	1969	Full	Yes
DR	9	1966	Full	Yes
NED	7	1969	Full	Yes
CAN	16	1964	Full	Yes
KOR	4	1946	Full	Yes
ISR	19	1995	Full	Yes
PAN	10	1944	Full	Yes
GBR	18	1960	Full	Yes
CZ	15	1992	Full	Yes
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Teams in Qualification

Team	WBSC Rank (as of February 2024)	Member of WBSC since	Membership	IOC member	Note
COL	13	1938	Full	Yes
TPE	5	1973	Full	Yes
NCA	20	1950	Full	Yes
CHN	24	1979	Full	Yes
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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			Regensburg Panama City New Taipei City Jupiter	Sydney Panama City Mexicali New York City	Regensburg Panama City
Pool stage	Tokyo San Juan Orlando Phoenix Scottsdale	Toronto Tokyo Mexico City San Juan	Fukuoka San Juan Taichung Phoenix Scottsdale	Tokyo Zapopan Seoul Miami	Tokyo Taichung Miami Phoenix	Tokyo San Juan Miami Houston
Knockout stage	San Juan Anaheim	San Diego Miami	Tokyo Miami	Tokyo San Diego	Tokyo Miami	Houston Miami
Championship	San Diego	Los Angeles	San Francisco	Los Angeles	Miami	Miami

Tournament Results

Ed.	Year	Hosts	First place game			Semi-finalists		Num. teams
			Champion	Score	Runner-up	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)

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

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

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

Images for kids

• 

  2006 World Baseball Classic Trophy; the trophy is in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame

• 

  World Baseball Classic Championship gold medal November 21, 2023

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