World Baseball Classic Delivered A Truly Fitting Ending
Reflecting on a WBC for the ages...
“I believe this is the best moment of my life.”
That was the money quote from baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani in the wake of delivering a moment that will live on in sports legend forever.
And, for those watching, the epic, perfect, storybook ending to the 2023 World Baseball Classic was a pretty freaking awesome moment to watch unfold, too.
At the culmination of what had been a hugely successful and hugely entertaining WBC, it all came down to two powerhouses slugging it out for ultimate glory.
A stacked USA team going up against their uber-talented Japan counterparts.
After going blow-for-blow with an electric atmosphere in Miami making for an incredible backdrop, with the championship on the line, two of the best players on the planet went head-to-head and provided what will be the defining image of the WBC.
Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, teammates with the Los Angeles Angels, put aside their friendship to pit their considerable talents against each other in order to try and secure glory for their respective countries.
In what transpired to be an epic at-bat, one that will be etched into the rich history of baseball lore forever, it came down to one final pitch.
With two outs in the top of the ninth and no men on in what was a one-run game, Trout had the opportunity to put the seal on what had been an epic tournament from a personal standpoint. But, standing across from him was a man who had also further grown his own legacy during this tournament.
Trout, with his steely focus inside the batter’s box, and Ohtani oozing confidence on the mound, were ready to play their part in delivering a blockbuster ending to a mouthwatering festival of baseball that spanned the past couple of weeks.
It was like two heavyweight boxers, each masters of their craft, going up against each other ready to fight until the bitter end. It resembled one of those iconic duels you’d see play out in a old-time Western.
It were as if two superheroes, equipped with God-like powers, were about to face off in an epic showdown that humankind was not worthy of being witness to.
It was the meeting of the two best baseball players on the planet in a mesmerizing clash that was a direct gift from the sporting Gods.
After a breathtaking, tension-filled five-pitch at-bat, which featured four fastballs by Ohtani that clocked 100 mph or more, the best was saved for the very last. Showing everyone why he is the new true superstar of the sport, Ohtani unleashed a filthy 87 mph slider that forced Trout to swing and miss and it sealed an ending we will not soon forget.
As Trout trudged off despondent, soaking in a rare three-swing-and-miss-strikeout that we aren’t used to seeing from one of the best players to have ever graced the planet, Japan celebrated their triumph with Ohtani at the heart of the euphoric scenes that followed.
To put Ohtani’s heroic, crowning moment into context; Trout has had three swinging strikes in just 24 of his 6,174 MLB career plate appearances.
That’s the perfect exclamation mark to place on Ohtani’s brilliance in the ninth inning on Tuesday night.
A rare moment we were blessed to see given that Ohtani never usually pitches in relief.
This was a special act saved for the most special of occasions.
Only the freakishly, uber-talented could do to one of the best what Ohtani did to Trout on the biggest stage with everything on the line.
As Trout put it after the game: “As a baseball fan everybody wanted to see it. He won Round 1.”
And Round 2 can’t come quick enough.
Trout and Ohtani have both already outlined their intention to play in the next instalment of the World Baseball Classic, which is scheduled to take place in 2026, along with a slew of other big-name players.
The mouth already salivates at the sheer thought of Trout and Ohtani engaging in all-out war against each other in the 2026 WBC Final.
It is the kind of magnificent and seductive sequel that baseball and sports fans alike deserve. It will carry the same level of hype and billing as Darth Vader’s and Obi Wan Kenobi’s rematch in the Obi Wan series. It will carry the same suspense as the bad-blooded rematch between Adonis Creed and Viktor Drago in Creed II.
As Master and Apprentice and old foes looked to prove who was the dominant being, we can only but dream of Ohtani and Trout doing the same two years down the line, at which point both players should be even more powerful than they are now.
It is hard not to already get excited at the prospect of a Round 2 between these two irresistible titans of the sport.
And it was perhaps written in the stars that a compelling World Baseball Classic would end with two of the best players we’ve ever seen grace the sport, two teammates with their MLB team, go head-to-head in order to decide which country would be immortalized as forever heroes, and which country would be left reflecting on what if.
It proved to be the fitting finale to a tournament that captivated baseball and sports fans in every corner of the world, while attracting a brand new audience to the sport we love.
From Day One, the World Baseball Classic thrilled and delivered in equal measure. It delivered a rush to the players taking part like they had never felt before, and it delivered a rush to those of us watching from home. The passion and the energy in which these games were played was both admirable and infectious.
It proved to be the perfect companion to the dullness of spring training games, with baseball fans now having meaningful, captivating games to watch slap bang in the middle of March.
I’d take that every single year without a moment of hesitation.
There were so many jaw-dropping moments, too. From Trea Turner’s game-changing Grand Slam against Venezuela, that earned him the nickname ‘Captain America,’ to Trout and Ohtani thriving in the big moments to Joey Meneses’ offensive explosion to a chaotic five-way tie in Pool A to some of the most exhilarating games you’ll ever see, this was a tournament that truly had it all.
I’m still grinning from ear to ear at just the thought of how damn fun this instalment of the WBC was.
If it were a blockbuster movie, it would have received the highest possible rating on Rotten Tomatoes for the drama and entertainment it served by the bucketload on a daily basis.
There were detractors, of course. The small envelopes of naysayers saw their voices get louder and louder after Freddie Freeman went down hurt while on duty with Team Canada. And the negativity only grew more intense on social media in the wake of Edwin Díaz seeing his 2023 season ended suddenly after seriously injuring himself during a celebration on the field.
It was a freak incident with no fault at all attached to the WBC. And injuries happen, and they occur every single year during spring training. Just ask Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux, who suffered a torn ACL while running the bases in a Cactus League game this year.
I penned a long-form defense of the WBC in the wake of that event, which you can read here.
And, for those describing the World Baseball Classic as “meaningless exhibition games,” just go and talk to the players who took part in this tourney and their answers will quickly dispel that notion.
“It was probably the funnest 10 days I’ve ever had,” Trout said. “I can’t really express what’s different about it. You can just feel it in your veins. It’s a special, special feeling. It reminded me of travel ball when I was a kid, just the friendships. You grind every day and play against these guys and now they’re your teammates. The whole WBC was special for me.”
Similar sentiments came thick and fast.
“With Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout ending that game the way they did, I think Baseball won again,” Lars Nootbaar, the lovable leadoff hitter for Team Japan, said. “I just think this WBC as a whole kind of elevated the game, and I hope the exposure that it got creates baseball fans all over the world.”
Now, for the man of the moment:
“I’ve seen Japan winning, and I just wanted to be part of it,” Ohtani said. “I really appreciate that I was able to have the great experience. As I say, the next generation, the kids who are playing baseball, I was hoping that those people would like to play baseball. That would make me happy.”
Given that Ohtani pretty much doubled his Instagram followers thanks to his exploits at the WBC, it is fair to assume that there will be thousands and thousands of kids begging their parents to buy them an Ohtani jersey and then proceed to spend countless hours out in the backyard with a bat and a ball.
That’s what the World Baseball Classic did for the game of baseball. It elevated an entire sport and, for those players lucky enough to represent their respective countries, it was the biggest honor and that was on full display in every single inning of every single game.
This tournament mattered. And it showed.
It mattered to those players who showed up and gave it their all while wearing massive smiles on their faces. And it mattered to the millions and millions of fans who tuned in and couldn’t turn away from the incredible spectacle they were witnessing.
It mattered to the likes of Trout and Ohtani, who have been starved of any success during their time with the Angels. Both players, despite being masters of their craft and two of the best to have ever done it, are robbed of the opportunity to play in meaningful games year after year after year. The WBC provided them with that luxury, and you could see just how much it meant to them in how they performed and raised their games in the biggest moments.
“Wow what a tournament,” tweeted Francisco Lindor, the star shortstop of the New York Mets. “When are we running it again?”
Lindor spoke for many when he sent out that Tweet. The only bad thing about the masterclass ending of the WBC was that it meant the World Baseball Classic was finished for now. I wasn’t done watching.
Thankfully, as already mentioned, we only have to wait two more years until the WBC returns in 2026. It can’t come soon enough.
The World Baseball Classic made baseball cool again and it has only helped to heighten the excitement levels for the 2023 MLB season.
Speaking as a fan rather than as a writer now, it was just freaking awesome and the spellbinding showdown between the two best players of any generation, let alone theirs, was a perfect ending for what was a perfect couple of weeks of baseball magic.
Bring on 2026.
