By Kevin Gonzalez 
The World Baseball Classic is smashing viewership numbers from 2023, while the NBA has seemingly been stuck in a rut ever since COVID. At the same time, the World Series has recently outperformed the NBA Finals, averaging more than 10 million viewers. That shift feels significant. There is an obvious void that has opened up, and whether it is due to fatigue, presentation, or just a lack of urgency, fans have started to look elsewhere. Right now, they are looking at baseball, and it could not have come at a better time. Even during the group stage of the WBC, the energy felt different, and as Major League Baseball runs off with the baton, it does not look like they are slowing down anytime soon.
The group stage is where everything begins. On paper, every team has a chance to win their group, even if some are clearly favored. Some teams had what felt like home field advantage, and some groups were more balanced than others, but none of that really mattered. Once you put a country on the front of the jersey, logic disappears. Fans believe their team is the best, and they will ride with them no matter what. It is the same formula that makes the FIFA World Cup so powerful. The format, the gaps between tournaments, and most importantly the emotional investment tied to national pride all combine into something that domestic leagues just cannot replicate. I am Cuban, so I watched every second of Cuba’s games, and even through a very disappointing performance, I stayed locked in the entire time.
The performances throughout the tournament have been perfect content for modern sports media. Baseball already translates well to highlights and social clips, and the WBC amplifies that. Teams like Italy, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela brought in massive attention because of the pride they play with. Just look at LoanDepot Park. It is not often you see it that packed unless the Yankees are in town, and even then this felt different. This felt global. Italy and Canada became some of the best stories of the tournament. Canada made it out of the group stage for the first time and showed off serious offensive firepower, while Italy consistently outperformed expectations and played fearless baseball.
Of course, not every story was positive. Some teams underperformed, and for my own team, this was Cuba’s first time not making it out of the group stage. A program with so much history and dominance is starting to show cracks, especially with roster decisions that leave out key talent. It feels like a turning point, and hopefully one that leads to real changes before the next tournament. Japan was another shock. With Shohei Ohtani and a stacked roster, they were the easy favorite for many, even casual fans, yet they were knocked out by Venezuela in one of the biggest upsets of the entire tournament.
Speaking of surprises, Italy delivered one of the most memorable moments by beating Team USA in the group stage, nearly putting them in a position where advancing was not even guaranteed. The United States found its footing later, including a huge win over the Dominican Republic where they held one of the most explosive offenses in the tournament to just a single run, far below their average.
Then came the final. Venezuela versus the United States. Two completely different paths but both battle tested. Venezuela’s run could not be ignored. They took down Japan, survived everyround, and proved over and over again that they could compete with anyone. And in the championship game, they did it again. They outscored Team USA when it mattered most, winning a tight 3 to 2 game and securing their first ever WBC title.
This was not luck. This was not a fluke. This was a team that kept applying pressure until something broke. Every inning felt like it was building toward something, and when the moment finally came, Venezuela delivered. That lineup, that energy, that belief in each other, it all showed up when it mattered most.
In the end, every team wins because this is bigger than just one tournament. This is about what baseball has become again. As long as there is not another lockout hanging over the MLB(Fingers crossed), it does not feel like this momentum is going anywhere. Baseball is on top right now, and the peak of the mountain does not even seem visible yet.
Thank you WBC 2026 for the memories.
Joel Perez