USA's 'Bullpen' Fails, Fans Triumph in World Baseball Classic 2026!

It’s pretty standard operating procedure at the conclusion of each Olympic Games that the IOC empty suit du jour presides over the closing ceremonies and decrees it the greatest Games ever. Well, that might not be a stretch for this sixth World Baseball Classic , an event on an undeniable upswing yet only as good as the action between the lines. Suffice to say it was pretty great, with Venezuela providing a jolt in all of its knockout games to ensure the event did not peak with a semifinal pitting Team USA against the Dominican Republic .

Nah, it was good to the last out, redefining narratives for players, teams, countries and the event itself. With that, a look at the winners and losers from this WBC: Winners WBC legitimacy Even the grumpiest ball fan has to acknowledge the event is pretty compelling. At the same time, while the games may be riveting, the stakes can feel a little empty: Players opting not to participate, insurance concerns taking out other stars, and pitchers coming and going from the squad (was that Jeff Hoffman accepting a silver medal?

) to remind us that this is, in fact, the middle of spring training. But Venezuela’s taut 3-2 victory over Team USA in the championship was as legit as they come – because the Venezuelans played it that way. Their bullpen had to absorb 7 2/3 innings to get by Italy in the semifinals a night before.

And yet with no days of rest, relievers Eduard Bazardo, Angel Zerpa, Andres Machado and Danny Palencia handled back-to-back duty, adrenaline in October mode despite it being mid-March. That’s not great for the body, necessarily, and we wish those young men the best going forward. Yet by working out the details and getting the OK from his relievers’ major league clubs and managing the game of his life, Venezuela manager Omar Lopez added significant heft to the event.