Venezuela Had Never Made a WBC Final. Then They Beat the Greatest Roster Ever Assembled.

Venezuela just won the 2026 World Baseball Classic — 3-2 over Team USA — in their first ever appearance in a WBC final. And the team they beat wasn't just any team. Team USA came into this tournament with Aaron Judge (3-time AL MVP, .331 BA, 9.7 WAR in 2025), Cal Raleigh (60 home runs, the first catcher in MLB history to hit that mark), Paul Skenes (1.97 ERA, 2025 NL Cy Young), Tarik Skubal (back-to-back AL Cy Young), Mason Miller (best closer in baseball), and Nolan McLean (consensus #1 pitching prospect, starting the championship game). 65 combined All-Star selections. The most historically loaded national roster ever assembled for international play.

Venezuela beat them anyway. Maikel García — Ronald Acuña Jr.'s cousin and the WBC MVP — led the tournament with 10 hits, 7 RBI, and clutch go-ahead moments against Japan, Italy, and the USA. Eduardo Rodríguez threw 4.1 scoreless innings against the most dangerous lineup in WBC history. Wilyer Abreu hit a 414-foot shot to dead center to make it 2-0. Bryce Harper tied it in the 8th with a 432-foot bomb. And Eugenio Suárez hit the go-ahead double in the 9th. Daniel Palencia closed it on 98 and 100 mph fastballs — three up, three down — and Venezuela became world champions for the first time in history.

In this video, we break down the full championship game, make the case for why this USA roster was the greatest ever assembled, and explain how Venezuela pulled off one of the most stunning championship runs in WBC history — beating Japan, unbeaten Italy, and Team USA in consecutive elimination games.

MUST-READ: Matt Monagan's piece on Acuña Jr. and García's family from La Sabana, Venezuela — one of the great baseball stories ever written: mlb.com/amp/news/ronald-acuna-jr-whole-family-plays-pro-baseball.html

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