Top 10 Team USA moments in World Baseball Classic history

The World Baseball Classic has produced its share of unforgettable moments for Team USA since the tournament debuted in 2006. 

With that in mind, here are 10 standout Team USA moments from World Baseball Classic history in no particular order.

(This list leaves out anything from the 2026 event on purpose. Fresh highlights tend to loom larger than they probably should, so giving them a little time allows the truly memorable ones to separate themselves.)

1. Adam Jones steals a home run from Manny Machado (2017)

In a nail-biting game against the Dominican Republic, Team USA had a 4-2 lead when Manny Machado hit an absolute bomb, and Adam Jones timed it perfectly and robbed him at the wall. Team USA held onto the lead and eventually won 6-3.

2. Team USA wins first WBC championship (2017)

For years, the United States showed up to the tournament with a great roster, but it never was enough. That finally changed in 2017 when the Americans defeated Puerto Rico, 8-0, in the championship game at Dodger Stadium. The celebration that ensued capped a decade of falling just short.

3. Marcus Stroman shuts down Puerto Rico in the final (2017)

While the overall win for Team USA was a huge moment, how it got there was just as important. Marcus Stroman took the mound in the championship game against Puerto Rico and delivered six dominant shutout innings and earned himself the tournament MVP award.

4. Trea Turner’s grand slam against Venezuela (2023)

Venezuela took a quick lead against the Untied States in the quarterfinal game. Trea Turner then hit a monster grand slam in the eighth inning that quickly changed the momentum. That big hit helped result in the Americans winning the game 9-7.

5. David Wright’s walk off hit against Puerto Rico (2009)

In one of the most dramatic games in WBC history, David Wright had one of the most memorable moments of the 2009 tournament. Wright hit a line drive walk off single over Puerto Rico that sent the USA to the semifinals.

6. David Wright’s grand slam against Italy (2013)

Wright finds himself on this list again. This time, it was for the grand slam he hit against Italy in the fifth inning, breaking up a 2-2 tie that resulted in the USA winning 6-2 in pool play. This gave the USA some much needed juice after a slow start and a previous loss to Mexico.

7. Shohei Ohtani strikes out Mike Trout to end the championship (2023)

The final moments of the 2023 WBC may be the most talked about. Two Los Angeles Angels teammates came head-to-head in Shohei Ohtani vs Mike Trout with the game on the line. With a full count, Ohtani threw a nasty slider that Trout swung through and led to Japan winning the championship.

8. Ian Kinsler's two-run homer in the championship game (2017)

Ian Kinsler got Team USA off to a hot start in 2017 championship game against Puerto Rico. Kinsler hit a two-run homer early in the game to give the USA a 2-0 lead, and the Americans never looked back, resulting an 8-0 first ever WBC tournament victory.

9. Derrek Lee’s home run against Mexico (2006)

In the Americans’ opening game against Mexico, Derrek Lee got a pitch from Rodrigo López and drove it over the wall. It turned out to be a big swing in a 2-0 win, and it also went down as the very first home run ever hit by the United States in WBC play.

10. Adam Jones’ eighth-inning RBI groundout (2017)

In a tense semifinal game against Japan and with a tie score in the eighth inning, Jones hit a slow roller that allowed Brandon Crawford to score and give the USA a 2-1 lead. The groundout ended up making the difference and propelled Team USA to the championship.