Rob weighs in on… The World Baseball Classic

Tonight: St. Patrick’s Day and the WBC Final

Tonight, St. Patrick’s night, is the final game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. As a baseball fan, I’m kind of stunned that I haven’t weighed in on this event yet.

The Growth of the Classic

The WBC was first held back in 2006. The event was the brainchild of then-MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, who sought to fill the void left by the elimination of baseball from the Summer Olympics. The tournament has expanded significantly since that inaugural event, with play-in rounds usually taking place the year prior to the main tournament.

The Powerhouse Narrative

As one would expect, the typical baseball powerhouses are usually the favorites: the United States, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Cuba. Of course, with Curaçao being part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, they have become something of a powerhouse in their own right.

It’s also fascinating to see how teams like Italy are evolving. Their roster is famously stacked with Italian American MLB stars like Vinnie Pasquantino and Aaron Nola, who qualify through heritage rather than being Italian nationals. While some critics call them a ‘masquerade’ team, it’s hard to argue with the results: millions of people back in Italy tuned in to their semifinal run. It seems the original vision for the WBC—using established stars to spark a ‘grotesque curiosity’ for the game in new markets—is finally starting to pay off.

USA vs. Venezuela: The Matchup

But tonight’s game is the United States versus Venezuela. It looks like the US is favored to win, but I feel like Venezuela is riding a high after their last several games—especially after that comeback against Italy in the semis. A lot has been said about the passion on display, particularly by teams from Latin American countries, as opposed to the quieter “act like you’ve been there before” demeanor of many American players.

I do think the United States will win tonight. They’re just too well-rounded of a team from top to bottom—pitching, hitting, fielding—they really do have it all. But I don’t think it’s going to be an easy one by any stretch of the imagination. Venezuela is more than capable of pulling off the upset.

And it’s not that I’m not cheering for my home country. However, I would like to see the game of baseball expand internationally. In order for that to happen, we need to see teams from other countries win the Classic. As a Detroit Tigers fan, it also doesn’t help my neutrality that so many current and former Tigers—like Eduardo Rodriguez, who gets the start for Venezuela tonight—hail from there.

After tonight, national allegiances will shift back to MLB teammates as players prepare for the marathon that is the 162-game regular season.

Chasing the International Game

As something of a ballpark chaser myself, I would like to attend at least one WBC game in my lifetime. Based on the scheduling of the last few Classics, Houston looks like a great future possibility. But I would love to use the Classic as an excuse to finally attend a game at Miami’s loanDepot park.

Ultimately, I would also like to attend games overseas—with Puerto Rico being my most likely first stop. But my dream would be to see games in Japan, Korea, and maybe one day even Cuba.

In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the games on TV. It’s an excellent breath of fresh air during the long stretch of spring training. Beyond today, I’m looking forward to baseball returning to the Olympics for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. My hope, as I’m sure it was Bud Selig’s, is that the WBC will lead to an explosion of international baseball, just as the 1992 “Dream Team” did for basketball.

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The article “Rob weighs in on… The World Baseball Classic” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.