Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic title for the first time, beating the United States 3-2 in the championship game on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. The final marked the fifth edition of the tournament, with previous winners being Japan in 2006, 2009 and 2023, the Dominican Republic in 2013, and the United States in 2017.[1][2]

Venezuela advanced to the final after a semifinal victory over Italy on March 16. The tournament's championship phase included a round-robin stage at loanDepot Park and Minute Maid Park, with the top two teams from each site moving to the semifinals and final, all hosted at loanDepot Park.[3]

Eduardo Rodriguez started for Venezuela, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing one hit while striking out four batters, including United States captain Aaron Judge. The 33-year-old left-hander, who posted a 5.02 ERA over the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, was relieved after 57 pitches.[4]

Wilyer Abreu, 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 a sacrifice fly in the third for the first run. Venezuela's relievers limited the United States to two hits overall.

Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 2-2. In the ninth, Eugenio Suárez delivered an RBI double with two outs after a walk and stolen base, scoring the go-ahead run. Daniel Palencia closed the game with two strikeouts and a pop-up.

Sources

1. World Baseball Classic. "History." Accessed October 2024. https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/en/history
2. Wikipedia. "World Baseball Classic." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
3. MLB.com. "World Baseball Classic 2026 pools, sites, dates announced." September 17, 2024. https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-pools-sites-dates-announced
4. MLB.com. "Eduardo Rodriguez." Accessed October 2024. https://www.mlb.com/player/eduardo-rodriguez-608566