Japan won Tuesday in Miami in the final of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) against the United States (3-2). This is the third time that the Japanese selection has won the only international event in which MLB professionals participate. Japan won the first two editions in 2006 and 2009 (the Dominican Republic won in 2013 and the United States in 2017). The Covid-19 pandemic had led to the postponement of the WBC 2021 to this year.
The final was marked by the confrontation of two of the biggest stars of today in MLB: the Japanese Shohei Ohtani and the American Mike Trout, who both play for the same team, the Los Angeles Angels. The match also ended with Ohtani throwing out Trout who was in the batting position. The US player finished the match with a single shot. Versatile Shohei Ohtani also made a strike and retired an opponent (Mike Trout therefore). He was named the 2023 WBC MVP.
