The Fifth Annual World Baseball Classic brought fans from all around the world together.

With baseball season getting started, the fifth annual World Baseball Classic commenced for the first time since 2017. Japan secured a 3-2 win over the United States to secure Japan’s third World Baseball Classic. The World Baseball Classic can be described simply as the Olympics of baseball. Countries such as the United States, Puerto Rico, or Israel create teams with baseball players that are born or have descent from their designated countries. The WBC (World Baseball Classic) combines players with Major League Baseball experience with regular teachers who just love to play the game. Well known players such as Shohei Ohtani, Adam Wainwright, and Franscisco Lindor get to represent their countries. The WBC games bring out a different passion in fans as it brings many people from many places all together to support one name. 

These games often have iconic moments that are remembered by baseball fans around the world. The 2023 WBC was a success for baseball as a whole. There were even surprising moments such as Francisco Lindor’s ability to round the bases in fifteen seconds for his “little league” homerun for Puerto Rico. One memorable moment out of the WBC was Trea Turner’s electric grand slam that led his team to the finals against team Velenzuela. Japan’s team had memorable moments such as their walk off against Mexico to advance to the finals and Masataka Yoshida’s game tying homer off a slider at the knees in the semi-finals. The movie-like ending between Japan and the United States final ended with the best player of this generation, Shohei Ohtani, striking out Mike Trout, another legend of the game, for the last out. The WBC even brought some devastating moments such as the injury of the pitching prodigy, Edwin Diaz. The Mets reliever maintained a 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 2022, so his injury was definitely crushing to witness. 

The World Cup-style championship helped people rekindle their love for baseball by bringing together fans from all over the world. According to the Athletic, “Viewership was up 69 percent from the 2017 WBC final with a combined audience of 5.2 million.” With the 2023 baseball season in its first few weeks, new rules set in place such as the pitch timer, larger bases, and the banning of the shift can help baseball become a new game. Large changes have been made to keep the younger generation involved and the World Baseball Classic helped with that.

Furthermore, the World Baseball Classic was a success to baseball as a whole. It was able to bring fans from different backgrounds together to support one country. It brought together fan favorite players who played with a passion that cannot be explained. Despite certain devastating injuries, the WBC shined a much-needed new light on Major League Baseball as a whole.

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