With the 2023 World Baseball Classic coming to an end here are some of my biggest takeaways.

Japan just won their third WBC Championship behind an excellent tournament performance by Shohei Ohtani. In seven games Ohtani batted .435 drawing 10 walks and posting a 1.86 ERA with 11 K’s in 9.2 innings pitched.

Japan became the second team along with the 2013 Dominican Republic team to go undefeated in the WBC. Japan averaged eight runs a game, making them the highest scoring champion in WBC history.

Japan also only allowed 2.57 runs per game this year, meaning they outscored opponents by 5.5 runs.

The 2023 All-World Baseball Classic team consists of the following players:

Salvador Perez (C, Venezuela)

Yu Chang (1B, Chinese Taipei)

Javier Báez (2B, Puerto Rico)

Yoán Moncada (3B, Cuba)

Trea Turner (SS, USA)

Randy Arozarena (OF, Mexico)

Masataka Yoshida (OF, Japan)

Mike Trout (OF, USA)

Shohei Ohtani (DH/P, Japan)

Patrick Sandoval (P, Mexico)

Miguel Romero (P, Cuba).

An honorable snub is team Canada’s 2B Edouard Julien who had a 1.821 OPS, with four XBHs, and five walks drawn in just four games. Along with the All-WBC team we have the Pool MVP’s ; Yu Chang, Shohei Ohtani, Randy Arozarena, and Salvador Pérez.

There were a couple of records broken in this year’s World Baseball Classic.

Boston Red Sox new signing, Masataka Yoshida had 13 RBI, the most in a single tournament ever. Along with that, USA’s shortstop Trea Turner, hit 5 home runs tying him with Lee Seung-Yuop, for most in a tournament. Great Britain’s Chavez Young stole the most bases in a single tournament with five, this year. Along with this a fun fact is Kyle Schwarber, has now hit a homerun in the ALWC, NLWC, ALDS, NLDS, ALCS, NLCS, WS, and the WBC. So three records were either tied or broken in this year’s World Baseball Classic, along with Japan being the highest scoring champion in WBC history.

Looking ahead to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, I believe it will be another good one. Some stars from this tournament such as Shohei Ohtani, and Trea Turner, will still be on the younger side. Along with maybe some young prospects such as Adley Rutschman and Francisco Álvarez, making their WBC debut. Either way I think it’ll be a battle between the USA and Japan once again, to see who takes home gold.

After Japan’s historic performance this year it will be tough to replicate that again in 2026. Regardless of what I think, we are in good hands for the next WBC and it will be just as exciting as this year.

– Liam Olson

Twitter: LJO_media

*Photo courtesy of South Side Sox*