Grab your gloves and bats baseball fans, because the 2026 season is officially upon us. Spring training began Feb. 20. However, certain players had their focus on a more important event, the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Thirty players were selected from MLB, and 15 of them were USA Baseball alumni. The team named New York Yankees right fielder, Aaron Judge, as the team captain to lead the group to many victories.
The WBC Opener, USA played Brazil on March 6, and USA answered first with Judge’s two-run homer for his very first swing of the series. Brazil answered back in the bottom half of the first with a home run. USA continued to score in the third with the help of Kyle Schwarber and aggressive base running from the team. Then again, in the fifth inning, four more runs were scored. Brazil tried to come back with two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but it couldn’t compete with the USA and their big moment in the ninth. Seven runs were scored in the top half to give Team USA the big win of 15-5 in the opening game.
Two-hundred-fifty years ago, America gained independence from Britain, and on March 7 the USA won again. Despite Britain leading for the first five innings, USA answered back in the bottom of the fifth as the team scored five runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong put himself in a scoring position after helping Ernie Clement score, and Schwarber answered with a 427-foot homerun over right field. Judge had a huge RBI in the sixth inning to knock in two runs, and a sacrifice fly that followed was able to bring in one more run. Britain couldn’t keep up with USA blazing bats throughout the game, unable to keep up with pitchers Tarik Skubal, Clay Holmes, Brad Keller, and Jason Jax as they allowed one earned run, three hits, and had 17 strikeouts over the nine innings. USA won 9-1 and advanced to the next game against Mexico on the March 9.
The first full two innings and the top of the third were quiet innings for both teams, but in the bottom half, USA exploded. Bryce Harper opened with a single, and the momentum carried from there as Judge hit another rocket to bring in two runs. With Schwarber on from a single and Cal Raleigh getting hit, Roman Anthony launched the ball 417 feet for a three-run homer. Mexico came back in the top of the sixth with two runs scored and one run in the eighth. Pressure was on closer Garrett Whitlock, with one runner on and the tying run at the plate, but he was able to close the game ,5-3.
Unfortunately for Team USA, their victory streak was brought to an end when Italy beat them, 8-6, in the final game of the WBC Pool Play. Italy scored three runs in the second inning, two in the fourth, and three in the sixth inning to give them an 8-0 lead over USA. Gunnar Henderson put Team USA on the board with a solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth. The boys had a two-out rally, Paul Goldschmidt getting on with a single, followed by Brice Turang with a double to put him and Goldschmidt in scoring position. Pressure was on Crow-Armstrong with two on, two outs, and two strikes on him. Crow-Armstrong hit his first home run in the WBC and knocked in all three runs. Announcer for the game, Joe Davis, spoke the truth after Crow-Armstrong did what he does best: “Not finished yet.” And was he right because Crow-Armstrong hit his second home run in the top of the ninth to close the gap 8-6 with Italy. Bobby Witt Jr. kept the rally going, but Italy’s pitcher, Greg Weissert, was able to shut down the game as USA fell short.
This wasn’t the end for Team USA. Not the slightest bit, because just like hockey, USA faced Canada. Witt Jr. scored thanks to a groundout by Schwarber in the first to put USA on the board. Two more runs scored in the third to extend their lead over Canada, and two more again in the sixth. Logan Webb started on the bump for USA, and he mowed down Canada to break the record for the most strikeouts in a single WBC, as he had 11 strikeouts before being taken out and replaced by Keller. Gabe Speier took over the mound after Keller allowed one run, but he himself gave up a two-run homer that put Canada on the board in the sixth. David Bednar took the rubber in the seventh and was able to escape a sticky situation as Canada had runners on second and third, and he faced Owen Caissie with a full count and two outs. Someone call up Lynyrd Skynyrd because “Free Bird” is once again being abused by Team USA after their 5-3 victory over Canada. Not only in baseball, though, on Sunday, March 15, the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team also won its fifth-straight gold medal against Canada. It gave USA Hockey a three-peat over Canada, and USA overall held four victories over Canada in sports.
After a close game against the Dominican Republic, where USA clinched 2-1, they moved on to the final game against Venezuela on March 17. Venezuela took the lead first in the third inning and then scored again in the fifth. Harper tied the game in the eighth with a 432-foot homer as they headed into the ninth. Venezuela’s DH was able to score the soon-to-be winning run before closer Daniel Palencia finished the game on the mound.
Team USA finished second in the WBC, earning the silver medal, and still making the country proud. They fought each game and couldn’t have had a better time in the series. Opening day is right around the corner, so baseball won’t be gone for too long, and one of America’s greatest pastimes will take over.
