Venezuela claimed its first World Baseball Classic title with a 3-2 victory over the United States in the championship game on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida.[1][2] The win marked the first WBC championship for Venezuela and made it the fourth different winner in tournament history, joining Japan (2006, 2009, 2023), the Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017).[3]
Venezuela had advanced to the final with a semifinal victory over Italy on March 16, 2026. Eduardo Rodriguez, a 32-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, started for Venezuela and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one hit and recording four strikeouts on 57 pitches.[4] Rodriguez posted a 5.02 ERA over 20 starts in 2023, his first season with Arizona after signing a four-year contract.[4][5]
Wilyer Abreu, an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to give Venezuela a 2-0 lead. Maikel Garcia added an RBI sacrifice fly in the third inning for the game's first run.
The United States managed two hits, including a single by Bryce Harper off Jose Butto in the sixth inning. Venezuela's relievers held the U.S. to four baserunners through eight innings.
Harper, of the Philadelphia Phillies, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, tying the score at 2-2 after Bobby Witt Jr. walked.
In the top of the ninth, Eugenio Suarez, third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks, hit an RBI double with one out after a walk and stolen base, scoring the go-ahead run. Daniel Palencia pitched the bottom of the ninth for the save, striking out Kyle Schwarber and Roman Anthony while Gunnar Henderson flied out.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic final was held at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins, as scheduled by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.[1][2]
Sources
- World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), "World Baseball Classic 2026," September 13, 2023, https://www.wbsc.org/en/world-baseball-classic/world-baseball-classic-2026
- MLB.com, "WBSC announces 2026 World Baseball Classic dates, pools," September 13, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/news/wbsc-announces-2026-world-baseball-classic-dates-pools
- Wikipedia, "World Baseball Classic," accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
- MLB.com, "Eduardo Rodriguez Player Page," accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/player/eduardo-rodriguez-608566
- Baseball-Reference.com, "Eduardo Rodriguez Stats," accessed October 2024, https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodried03.shtml