The 2026 World Baseball Classic, the sixth edition of the international event, is set to begin on Wednesday night in Tokyo, Japan, when Chinese Taipei takes on Australia.
The 20-team international tournament's first round is to be played in Tokyo, Puerto Rico, Houston, and Miami, with four five-team pools.
The top two in each pool qualify for the knockout round after round-robin play. The knockout round is in Houston and Miami, before the semifinals and finals at LoanDepot Park in Miami, home of the Miami Marlins.
Below, we'll go over the history of the World Baseball Classic winners, walking you through the most memorable moments of past WBC tournaments and championships, and the favorites to win the 2026 WBC, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
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World Baseball Classic Winners List
The World Baseball Classic is a relatively new tournament, beginning in 2006, and happening once every four years. After the COVID pandemic delayed the last tournament, we had had only a three-year gap since the last World Baseball Classic.
Japan has won three World Baseball Classics, including the last one in 2023.The United States (2017) and the Dominican Republic (2013) have the other two titles.
Notably, the three teams that have previously won WBC titles are also the three favorites in the 2026 tournament, according to PrizePicks Team Picks; the United States leads as the favorite, with a
Here's a list of the past winners, including championship results.
2006: Japan def. Cuba, 10-6
2009: Japan def. South Korea, 5-3 (10 innings)
2013: Dominican Republic def. Puerto Rico, 3-0
2017: United States def. Puerto Rico, 8-0
2023: Japan def. United States, 3-2
How Often is the World Baseball Classic?
The World Baseball Classic, which debuted in 2006, is scheduled to be played every four years, despite its history.
The first two editions, 2006 and 2009, were played three years apart, then it was moved to every four years for 2013 and 2017, before COVID interrupted and forced a six-year gap to 2023.
World Baseball Classic Winners List: All the Past Winners
Here is a full list of the past World Baseball Classic winners, in order from the first tournament in 2006 to the most recent in 2023 — both of which were won by Japan.
2006 WBC Winner: Japan
2006 WBC MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan)
Japan 2026 WBC Winner Payout: 4.34x (via PrizePicks) – $100 pays out $434
Despite losing to South Korea in both the first and second rounds, Japan advanced to the semifinals, knocking off undefeated South Korea, before defeating Cuba in the championship to earn the first-ever WBC title.
Japan went 2-1 in the first round, defeating China and Chinese Taipei, and advanced from the second round on a tiebreaker despite a 1-2 record.
Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, a Nippon Professional Baseball veteran who was little-known outside Japan at the time, won the first of his two Tournament MVPs. In 2007, he would sign a 6-year, $52 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.
2009 WBC Winner: Japan
2009 WBC MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan)
Japan 2026 WBC Winner Payout: 4.34x (via PrizePicks) – $100 pays out $434
Japan won its second straight World Baseball Classic in 2009, defeating South Korea in the finals, the fifth meeting between the two countries in the same event.
The teams split Pool A matchups, with South Korea winning the Pool A final and Japan winning in the second round.
But the winner-take-all game in the final went to Japan in 10 innings after beating the United States in the semifinals. Japan's Daisuke Matsuzaka was awarded the tournament MVP for the second consecutive time, with a 3-0 record and 2.45 ERA.
The two have become bitter rivals in WBC play, though South Korea has suffered 10-straight losses to Korea. onthe international stages.
2013 WBC Winner: Dominican Republic
2013 WBC MVP: Robinson Cano (Dominican Republic)
Dominican Republic 2026 WBC Winner Payout: 3.84x (via PrizePicks) – $100 pays out $384
The Dominican Republic swept its way to the 2013 title, going 8-0 and becoming the first team from the Western Hemisphere to win the title.
Dominican Republic beat Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Spain in the first round, then Italy, the United States, and Puerto Rico again in the second round.
DR knocked off the Netherlands next, then Puerto Rico for a third time to earn the championship. Robinson Cano had a record 15 hits while batting .469, earning MVP honors.
2017 WBC Winner: United States
2017 WBC MVP: Marcus Stroman (United States)
United States 2026 WBC Winner Payout: 1.85x (via PrizePicks) – $100 pays out $185
After finishing no higher than fourth in the three previous WBC events, the United States defeated 2-time Champion Japan in the semifinals and Puerto Rico in the finals to claim its first WBC title.
The Americans pulled off the WBC title despite losing once in each of the first two rounds.
Pitcher Marcus Stroman, then of the Toronto Blue Jays, pitched eight scoreless innings in the Championship game over Puerto Rico and earned MVP. Christian Yelich hit .310 with four doubles and was named to the All-Tournament team.
2023 WBC Winner: Japan
2023 WBC MVP: Shohei Ohtani (Japan)
Japan 2026 WBC Winner Payout: 4.34x (via PrizePicks) – $100 pays out $434
After failing to win the two previous WBC’s, Japan returned to the winner’s circle with their third WBC title.
Led by MVP Shohei Ohtani, Japan swept pool play, defeating China, the Czech Republic, Australia, and South Korea, outscoring opponents 38-8. Japan then beat Italy, Mexico, and the United States to win the title.
Most notably in the championship, Japan captain Ohtani struck out United States captain Mike Trout swinging for the final out to win the trophy and secure a 3-2 victory. An iconic WBC moment.
Ohtani and teammate Masataka Yoshida were both named to the All-Tournament team, with Ohtani earning MVP honors.
Make 2026 WBC Predictions on PrizePicks
The 2026 WBC is an opportunity for the world's best baseball players to represent their country in an international tournament that only comes around every four years.
The three former winners — Japan, United States, and Dominican Republic — are also the favorites for the 2026 tournament.
This is also your chance to get in on the World Baseball Classic action, including your 2026 WBC winner prediction.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued WBC predictions, picks, and news
