With Paul Goldschmidt on the roster, Team USA fell once again in the World Baseball Classic. This time, it was against Venezuela instead of Japan, but the loss stings all the same. With the defeat now official, Goldschmidt and four other players will go down in history as part of the runner-up rosters in 2023 and 2026.
David Bednar, Paul Goldschmidt, Kyle Schwarber, Will Smith, and Bobby Witt Jr. are the five players on the 2026 roster who were also part of Team USA‘s squad in 2023. After the Stars and Stripes fell at loanDepot park once again, those five players relived the heartbreak from 2023.
Once again, the Americans suffered a crushing defeat in Little Havana. Three years ago, it was Japan that walked away victorious. Now, Venezuela has captured its first World Baseball Classic title, while Team USA matched Puerto Rico’s total of two runner-up finishes. The Americans now hold a 1–2 record in World Baseball Classic finals.
When is next World Baseball Classic?
Team USA will have its shot at redemption in 2030, as that’s when the next World Baseball Classic will be. Four years from now, Venezuela will have to defend its world champions crown. For the time being, though, the Venezuelans get to celebrate a historic conquest in Miami.
However, Venezuela and Team USA may run into each other again before 2030. In 2028, baseball will return to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2020. Thus, both Venezuela and the U.S. could be in for a case of déjà vu, as they compete in a tournament where Japan enters as the reigning champion on American soil.
Updated World Baseball Classic winners
| YEAR | CHAMPION | RUNNER-UP |
| 2006 | JAPAN | CUBA |
| 2009 | JAPAN (2) | SOUTH KOREA |
| 2013 | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | PUERTO RICO |
| 2017 | TEAM USA | PUERTO RICO |
| 2023 | JAPAN (3) | TEAM USA |
| 2026 | VENEZUELA | TEAM USA |