Last time USA won World Baseball Classic: Revisiting 2017 championship over Puerto Rico led by Marcus Stroman, Eric Hosmer originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The United States nearly won the World Baseball Classic in 2023, but a heartbreaking loss to Japan set the stage for the nation to assemble what some consider a "super team" in 2026.
With revenge on their mind, the Americans are back in the championship game seeking a return to glory even after a slip-up in pool play.
The next World Baseball Classic title for the United States won't be its first.
Here's a look back at the last time Team USA won the World Baseball Classic and which players were on the roster.
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The United States last won the World Baseball Classic in 2017, winning a title for the first time since the tournament debuted in 2006.
While a nine-year drought may seem like a long time, 2023 was actually the only World Baseball Classic between 2017 and 2026. The tournament had been on an every-four-years schedule but was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned for 2023 and was put on an every-three-years cadence after the attention it drew during its return.
Still, the United States entered 2026 desperate to see that drought end.
Like this year's tournament, Team USA wasn't perfect in pool play on the way to a championship in 2017. The U.S. suffered a 7-5 loss to the Dominican Republic and finished second in Pool C with wins over Canada and Colombia.
In the second round of pool play, however, Team USA eliminated the Dominican Republic in a thrilling game now known for Adam Jones ' iconic home run-saving catch against then-Orioles teammate Manny Machado .
Here are more details on how the United States finished its road to the championship.
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The bracketed portion of the World Baseball Classic only featured semifinals and the championship game at the time, so the United States won it with wins over Japan and Puerto Rico.
The U.S. narrowly defeated Japan 2-1 in the semifinals, taking a late lead on an Adam Jones RBI groundout and getting four scoreless innings out of Tanner Roark .
Looking for revenge against Puerto Rico after a pool play loss, Team USA dominated the championship game at Dodger Stadium and won 8-0 to capture its first World Baseball Classic title. Marcus Stroman was the hero for the U.S. in the title game, tossing six brilliant innings with only one hit allowed.
Here's a look at Team USA's complete active roster from the 2017 World Baseball Classic:
| Positon |
Player |
MLB team in 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| SP |
||
| SP |
Royals |
|
| SP |
Tanner Roark |
Nationals |
| SP |
Marcus Stroman |
Blue Jays |
| RP |
||
| RP |
Rangers |
|
| RP |
Orioles |
|
| RP |
Astros |
|
| RP |
Nate Jones |
|
| RP |
Rockies |
|
| RP |
Andrew Miller |
Indians |
| RP |
||
| RP |
David Robertson |
White Sox |
| C |
Giants |
|
| C |
Rangers |
|
| INF |
Rockies |
|
| INF |
Astros |
|
| INF |
Giants |
|
| INF |
||
| INF |
Pirates |
|
| INF |
Royals |
|
| INF |
Tigers |
|
| INF |
Nationals |
|
| OF |
Adam Jones |
Orioles |
| OF |
Pirates |
|
| OF |
Marlins |
|
| OF |
Marlins |
MORE: Inside Paul Skenes' brief career at Air Force
| Year |
Result |
Record |
| 2006 |
Eliminated in pool play (second round) |
3-3 |
| 2009 |
Lost in semifinals |
4-3 |
| 2013 |
Eliminated in pool play (second round) |
3-3 |
| 2017 |
Won championship |
6-2 |
| 2023 |
Lost championship game |
5-2 |
| 2026 |
TBD |
5-1 |
The United States has only won the World Baseball Classic and has never had an undefeated run in the event, a streak that continued in 2026 with a pool play loss to Italy.
Team USA is 26-14 all-time at the World Baseball Classic, with a 16-5 record since the start of the 2017 tournament.
