MIAMI — Nobody is saying the quiet part out loud, but nobody has to. The evidence is in the bracket. The World Baseball Classic is being staged for Japan — or more specifically, so that Major League Baseball can extract as much money as it can from the baseball-crazed country.

The World Baseball Classic is back for the first time since 2023. First introduced 20 years ago, the event has pitted the best players in the world against one another while donning their nation’s colors. It has certainly made for some thrilling action in the lead-up to the Major League Baseball season.

Czech electrician Ondrej Satoria received an emotional standing ovation at the Tokyo Dome in his final World Baseball Classic game on Tuesday, ending his international career.

The World Baseball Classic has given fans a chance to see Japan's best players before they hit the majors. Here's who to keep an eye on this year.

Japan improved to 2-0 at the WBC, slugging four home runs in an 8-6 win over South Korea.

The Houston Astros’ newest starting pitcher isn’t sweating whether he’ll join his team in the World Baseball Classic.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito watched his nation's national team win on Sunday at the Tokyo Dome and broke a similar national tradition that Donald Trump snapped in 2025

Dominican Republic fans want their team to set up a showdown with Shohei Ohtani's Team Japan in the 2026 WBC championship game.