Pitching Perfectly: 2023 World Baseball Classic Champions Kick Off Their Season!
Team USA has a chance to win their second World Baseball Classic, but which country has won the most? Here's a look back at every champion since 2006.
After advancing to the final on a controversial third strike call, Team USA is in position to win their second World Baseball Classic championship. They'll face the winner of Monday's semifinal between Venezuela and Italy. The United States won their first title on the world stage in 2017 with an 8-0 rout over Puerto Rico.
They also reached the final in the previous Classic in 2023, but lost to Japan after an iconic standoff between then-Los Angeles Angels teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout for the final out. In 2026, it was Paul Skenes' heroic effort on the mound to quiet a Dominican Republic lineup that hit 14 home runs to that point, holding them to just one run on a solo shot from Junior Caminero. Nolan McLean will be on the mound for the Americans in the championship.
If USA were to win their second WBC title, they would then have the second-most in the tournament's history behind only Japan, who won both of the first two in 2006 and 2009 and their third in '23. Here's a look back at every World Baseball Classic winner through the years: 2006: Japan Championship game: Japan 10, Cuba 6 Location: Petco Park, San Diego Third-place finisher: South Korea Fourth-place finisher: Dominican Republic MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan 2009: Japan Championship game: Japan 5, South Korea 3 (10 innings) Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Third-place finisher: Venezuela Fourth-place finisher: United States MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan 2013: Dominican Republic Championship game: Dominican Republic 3, Puerto Rico 0 Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco Third-place finisher: Japan Fourth-place finisher: Netherlands MVP: Robinson Canó, Dominican Republic 2017: United States Championship game: United States 8, Puerto Rico 0 Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Third-place finisher: Japan Fourth-place finisher: Netherlands MVP: Marcus Stroman, United States 2023: Japan Championship game: Japan 3, United States 2 Location: LoanDepot Park, Miami Third-place finisher: Mexico Fourth-place finisher: Cuba MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Japan This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Baseball Classic winners: Every champion since 2006