The 2026 World Baseball Classic has channeled all of the emotion, passion, and tradition of the sport into a single tournament. The game’s best players from across the globe have come together to represent their countries and compete for baseball superiority. From Tokyo to San Juan to Houston to Miami, the WBC is introducing fans to a new level of intensity and an electric style of play, brought out by the pride of playing for their country.
Baseball in the U.S. is fairly laid-back, especially at this time of year when spring training gives way to the beginning of the season. The celebrations are minimal and even discouraged in old-school baseball circles, and fans aren’t overly involved in the game. That doesn’t mean playoff baseball isn’t electric and that players and fans won’t erupt at big moments, but compared to the international game, American baseball doesn’t have the same emotion.
“I don’t know if it’s because of what’s across my chest, but the [World Baseball] Classic feels above [the World Series],” three-time World Series champion and former Team Puerto Rico member Kike Hernández said.
It doesn’t take long to realize that the games mean more and players have extra motivation in this tournament. One of the major storylines of the WBC so far has been the Dominican Republic, which went 3–0 to advance past group play.
In an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers before the tournament started, the Dominican team erupted. Juan Soto hit a go-ahead homer, took a slow jog around the bases, and then celebrated with his teammates. He had handshakes with Fernando Tatís Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., put on the designated home run jacket, and was greeted by the entire team before he reached the dugout. As soon as Soto made contact, every fan in the stadium got out of their seats and jumped around wildly. This happened in the fourth inning of an exhibition game.
There’s a spark to the WBC that elevates the excitement of baseball. Japanese fans in the Tokyo Dome have chants for every player that give the game a constant rhythm. Roughly 40,000 were in attendance just to watch Shohei Ohtani take batting practice, and he put on a show. Just like the Dominican Republic, Japan went undefeated in pool play, pulling off four wins behind Ohtani and fellow slugger Munetaka Murakami.
The Tokyo Dome gave a standing ovation not just to their own players, but to Czech pitcher Ondřej Satoria. A full-time electrician and part-time pitcher, Satoria burst onto the scene during the last WBC in 2023 by striking out Ohtani on three consecutive pitches. This time around, while barely breaking 80 miles per hour with his fastball, he contributed everything he had to Team Czechia and went 4 and 2/3 shutout innings against Japan. For his efforts, the fans showed their respect as Satoria walked off the field for the last time.
In the WBC, players simply care more. There are tears after games, either of joy or of defeat. Bat flips go higher, and players are louder than they are in the MLB. Teams refuse to hang their heads in blowouts and play just as passionately down 10 runs as they would in a tie game.
Alongside this emotion is a patriotic pride. Teams personalize their celebrations in accordance with their country. For example, Team Italy has an espresso machine in their dugout, and after every home run, the player takes a shot of espresso. The Italians, who just knocked off the Americans 8–6 in a pool play stunner, are making a name for themselves on the international stage.
While the Americans have not historically taken this tournament as seriously as other countries, this year, under manager Mark DeRosa and captain Aaron Judge, the U.S. assembled a stacked roster that was immediately met with sky-high expectations. Falling short to Japan in the last WBC clearly did not leave a good taste for Team USA.
In the past, the best American pitchers have been unwilling to pitch outside of the MLB and participate, but this year, reigning Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes announced his intention to play. Skenes took the lead, and many other elite arms followed, including Tarik Skubal, Logan Webb, and Mason Miller.
The game is going global, and talent is more spread out than ever. It seems like the WBC means everything for the rest of the world, while Team USA, at times, emphasizes “getting work in” over winning the game. Although the Americans eked into the knockout rounds after Italy took down Mexico, a repeat trip to the finals is anything but guaranteed.
