Team USA fell short in the title game for the second WBC in a row in 2026
By Stephen Pianovich Mar 17, 2026 at 11:36 pm ET • 1 min read 
Getty Images Venezuela captured the 2026 World Baseball Classic title Tuesday night in Miami, the country's first championship in the tournament. Team USA, meanwhile, was the runner-up for the second time in a row. The Americans fell short, 3-2, in the title game as their bats went cold late in the tournament. Bryce Harper hit a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning of Tuesday's title game, but Eugenio Suárez answered with an RBI double in the ninth inning to plate the winning run for Venezuela.
Venezuela took out reigning champion Japan and underdog Italy in the knockout stage before beating Team USA.
The 2026 installment was the sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic, and Venezuela is fourth different country to win the competition. Japan has won three titles, in 2006, 2009 and 2023. The Dominican Republic won in 2013, and Team USA's only WBC championship remains the 2017 title.
List of World Baseball Classic winners
2006
- Winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Cuba
- World Baseball Classic MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka led Japan to the inaugural WBC title in 2006. Getty Images 2009
- Winner: Japan
- Runner-up: South Korea
- World Baseball Classic MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka
2013
- Winner: Dominican Republic
- Runner-up: Puerto Rico
- World Baseball Classic MVP: Robinson Canó
Robinson Canó was tournament MVP for the Dominican Republic in 2013. Getty Images 2017
- Winner: United States
- Runner-up: Puerto Rico
- World Baseball Classic MVP: Marcus Stroman
2023
- Winner: Japan
- Runner-up: United States
- World Baseball Classic MVP: Shohei Ohtani
2026
- Winner: Venezuela
- Runner-up: United States
- World Baseball Classic MVP: Maikel Garcia
Japan
3 (2006, 2009, 2023)
Dominican Republic
1 (2013)
United States
1 (2017)
Venezuela1 (2026) Join the Conversation comments
