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Weeks of exciting international baseball all came down to this: USA vs. Japan. Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout — for the World Baseball Classic title.

The final game of the 2023 WBC, between the tournament’s two most dominant teams, ended with the matchup everyone was hoping to see. Ohtani struck out his Los Angeles Angels teammate in the ninth inning to close out a 3-2 victory for Japan. The win gives Japan its third WBC title and ends Team USA’s quest for a repeat crown.

We have you covered with everything you need to know for the WBC grand finale, from best moments to postgame takeaways.

Baseball world reacts to Japan’s WBC victory


Takeaways from the WBC final

What went right for Japan?

It utilized its bullpen perfectly — for the fans, considering the epic matchup that finished this tournament, but mostly to set itself up for a win. There were questions around why Yu Darvish didn’t start, but Shota Imanaga held the U.S. to one run in the first two innings and the bullpen took it from there. In all, seven pitchers were utilized, six of whom are starters. Darvish pitched the eighth inning, nearly giving up the lead, and paved the way for Shohei Ohtani, who walked to the bullpen after sliding into second base on a double play. He tossed a few warm-up pitches, checked back into the game — and recorded the save. — Alden Gonzalez

What went wrong for the U.S.?

Team USA simply didn’t capitalize on run-scoring opportunities. And in a game with such a small margin for error, against a team with so much talent, that proved to be the difference. The U.S. went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, its worst mark ever in the World Baseball Classic. In the second, third, fifth and seventh innings, they had two runners on base who failed to score. In the ninth, Jeff McNeil drew a leadoff walk against Ohtani, but Mookie Betts bounced into a double play and Mike Trout struck out — whiffing on a full-count slider after getting four consecutive 100-mph fastballs. — Gonzalez

We finally got the at-bat we’d all been waiting for. What was your favorite part of Ohtani vs. Trout?

That Ohtani came with a slider. Trout saw four consecutive 100-plus mile-and-hour fastballs in his epic ninth-inning showdown against his two-way teammate. The count had run full, Japan led by a single run. Everyone in the building probably thought Ohtani would challenge Trout with another fastball. Instead, he flipped a slider, his third-most-utilized pitch in 2022, and Trout swung way early. — Gonzalez

The utter perfection of the entire situation. Getting Ohtani vs. Trout in any situation would’ve been a treat. Getting Ohtani vs. Trout in a one-run game with two outs in the ninth inning and watching it go to a full count with the championship on the line is a 100th-percentile outcome. Sometimes sports moments unfold with drama and stakes that don’t seem real. This was real, and it was spectacular. — Jeff Passan

Was there a managerial decision in the final that left you scratching your head?

The use of Yu Darvish. He was lined up to start, and he had only accumulated five innings throughout this World Baseball Classic, scant enough usage for the Padres to worry whether he’d be prepared for Opening Day. Instead, Darvish waited in the bullpen, acted as a setup reliever and clearly was not sharp in the eighth inning. Maybe Japan knew something the rest of us didn’t. — Gonzalez

As excellent a defensive outfielder as Cedric Mullins is, his six plate appearances in the WBC going into the championship game were the third-fewest on Team USA, ahead of only third catcher Kyle Higashioka and 22-year-old Bobby Witt Jr. So to see him get the start and relegate Pete Alonso to the bench came as a surprise. Manager Mark DeRosa said he wanted Mullins in for the defensive upgrade he provided, but he wound up going 0 for 4 on a night when offense was in short supply. — Passan

What will be your lasting impression of this WBC?

That the players bought in. That the energy in the ballpark was incredible. That the tournament somehow exceeded the lofty expectations it carried heading into it. This year’s World Baseball Classic will undoubtedly grow the game throughout the world. It’ll grow the game in Mexico, thanks to a Randy Arozarena-led team that exceeded expectations. It’ll grow the game in places like the Czech Republic and Taiwan, which produced record viewership. And, one would think, it’ll grow the game in the United States, where the excitement was palpable. — Gonzalez

Perhaps it’s recency bias, but this felt different than past WBCs — bigger, more important. The ultimate test of this will come not only in players who commit for 2026 or television ratings the next time around but a dozen years from now, when the major leaguers at the time point to the 2023 WBC as a moment from their childhood they remember the same way Japan star Munetaka Murakami said he wanted to play in the tournament after watching it in 2009. — Passan

What are you most looking forward to in the 2026 WBC?

There’s one big step that needs to be taken in this tournament: Fewer restrictions on pitchers. It’s understandable; this tournament come at a time when pitchers need to be building up innings for the regular season, and any break from that schedule can significantly throw them off for April. The next step for the World Baseball Classic is for major league teams to let pitchers prioritize this tournament while it’s happening — so long as they’re careful enough to avoid injury — then simply re-calibrate once they return to spring training. Easier said than done, probably. — Gonzalez

More buy-in. From major league teams who could easily use the Edwin Diaz and Jose Altuve injuries as excuses to cajole players into skipping the tournament. From front-end pitchers who saw Japan trotting out Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Darvish and know their country wasn’t doing the same. From fans who need to stop treating the event as if it’s just an exhibition, rather than an exhibition with meaning. From networks who can promote games on channels with the largest possible audiences. There’s a clear path to making the WBC bigger and better. All it will take is commitment. — Passan


Relive the best WBC final moments

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Red Sox deal All-Star Devers to Giants in stunner

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Red Sox deal All-Star Devers to Giants in stunner

The San Francisco Giants acquired three-time All-Star Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in a stunning trade that sent a player Boston once considered a franchise cornerstone to a San Francisco team needing an offensive infusion.

Boston received left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and Rookie League right-hander Jose Bello.

The Red Sox announced the deal Sunday evening.

The Giants will cover the remainder of Devers’ contract, which runs through 2033 and will pay him more than $250 million, sources told ESPN.

The trade ends the fractured relationship between Devers and the Red Sox that had degraded since spring training, when Devers balked at moving off third base — the position where he had spent his whole career — after the signing of free agent Alex Bregman. The Red Sox gave no forewarning to Devers, who expressed frustration before relenting and agreeing to be their designated hitter.

After a season-ending injury to first baseman Triston Casas in early May, the Red Sox asked Devers to move to first base. Devers declined, suggesting the front office “should do their jobs” and find another player after the organization told him during spring training he would be the DH for the remainder of the season. The day after Devers’ comments, Red Sox owner John Henry, president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Kansas City, where Boston was playing, to talk with Devers.

In the weeks since, Devers’ refusal to play first led to internal tension and helped facilitate the deal, sources said.

San Francisco pounced — and added a force to an offense that ranks 15th in runs scored in Major League Baseball. Devers, 28, is hitting .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, tied for the third most in MLB. Over his nine-year career, Devers is hitting .279/.349/.509 with 215 home runs and 696 RBIs in 1,053 games.

Boston believed enough in Devers to give him a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in January 2023. He rewarded the Red Sox with a Silver Slugger Award that season and made his third All-Star team in 2024.

Whether he slots in at designated hitter or first base with San Francisco — the Giants signed Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman to a six-year, $151 million deal last year — is unknown. But San Francisco sought Devers more for his bat, one that immediately makes the Giants — who are fighting for National League West supremacy with the Los Angeles Dodgers — a better team.

To do so, the Giants gave a package of young talent and took on the contract that multiple teams’ models had as underwater.

Harrison, 23, is the prize of the deal, particularly for a Red Sox team replete with young hitting talent but starving for young pitching. Once considered one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Harrison has shuttled between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento this season.

Harrison, who was scratched from a planned start against the Dodgers on Sunday night, has a 4.48 ERA over 182⅔ innings since debuting with the Giants in 2023. He has struck out 178, walked 62 and allowed 30 home runs. The Red Sox optioned Harrison to Triple-A Worcester after the trade was announced.

Hicks, 28, who has toggled between starter and reliever since signing with the Giants for four years and $44 million before the 2024 season, is on the injured list because of right toe inflammation. One of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, Hicks has a 6.47 ERA over 48⅔ innings this season. He could join the Red Sox’s ailing bullpen, which Breslow has sought to upgrade.

Tibbs, 22, was selected by the Giants with the 13th pick in last year’s draft out of Florida State. A 6-foot, 200-pound corner outfielder, Tibbs has spent the season at High-A, where he has hit .245/.377/.480 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs in 56 games. Scouts laud his command of the strike zone — he has 41 walks and 45 strikeouts in 252 plate appearances — but question whether his swing will translate at higher levels.

Bello, 20, has spent the season as a reliever for the Giants’ Rookie League affiliate. In 18 innings, he has struck out 28 and walked three while posting a 2.00 ERA.

The deal is the latest in which Boston shipped a player central to the franchise.

Boston traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in February 2020, just more than a year after leading Boston to a franchise-record 108 wins and a World Series title and winning the American League MVP Award.

Devers was part of that World Series-winning team in 2018 and led the Red Sox in RBIs each season from 2020 to 2024, garnering AL MVP votes across each of the past four years. Devers had been with the Red Sox since 2013, when he signed as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He debuted four years later at age 20.

Boston is banking on its young talent to replace Devers’ production. The Red Sox regularly play four rookies — infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony and catcher Carlos Narvaez — and infielder Franklin Arias and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia are expected to contribute in the coming years.

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Ohtani to return to mound vs. Padres on Monday

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Ohtani to return to mound vs. Padres on Monday

Shohei Ohtani will make his long-awaited return to pitching on Monday night in a matchup against the division-rival San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced.

Ohtani, 21 months removed from a second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, will be used as an opener, likely throwing one inning. Because of his two-way designation, Ohtani qualifies as an extra pitcher on the roster, giving the Dodgers the flexibility to use a piggyback starter behind him.

That is essentially what will take place in his first handful of starts — a byproduct of the progress Ohtani has made in the late stages of his pitching rehab.

Ohtani, 30, initially seemed to be progressing toward a return some time around August. But he made a major step during his third simulated game from San Diego’s Petco Park on Tuesday, throwing 44 pitches over the course of three simulated innings and compiling six strikeouts against a couple of low-level minor leaguers.

Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was a “north of zero” chance Ohtani could return before the All-Star break. When he met with reporters prior to Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants — an eventual 5-4 victory — Roberts said it was a “possibility” Ohtani could pitch after just one more simulated game.

After the game, Roberts indicated the timeline might have been pushed even further, telling reporters it was a “high possibility” Ohtani would pitch in a big league game this week as an opener, likely during the upcoming four-game series against the Padres.

“He’s ready to pitch in a big league game,” Roberts told reporters. “He let us know.”

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What blockbuster trade means for Rafael Devers’ fantasy baseball potential

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What blockbuster trade means for Rafael Devers' fantasy baseball potential

If you’re just getting back home from your Father’s Day activities, you had better sit down, because Sunday evening’s Boston Red SoxSan Francisco Giants trade is a doozy.

Rafael Devers, second among third basemen and seventh among hitters in fantasy points this season, is headed to the Giants, traded minutes before their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boston’s return includes pitchers Kyle Harrison, who was the Giants’ scheduled starting pitcher Sunday night (subsequently scratched), pitcher Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and pitching prospect Jose Bello.

Expect Devers to continue to serve in a designated hitter-only capacity with his new team, considering his season-long stance, which is primarily an issue for his position eligibility for 2026. He might factor as the Giants’ future first baseman if given a full offseason to prepare for the shift to a new position — or it could happen sooner if he has a change of heart in his new environment.

As for the impact on Devers’ numbers, the move from Fenway Park to Oracle Park represents one of the steepest downgrades in terms of park factors, specifically run production and extra-base hits. With its close-proximity Green Monster in left field, Fenway Park is a much better environment for doubles and runs scored, Statcast reflecting that it’s 22% and 10% better than league average in those categories, respectively, compared with 8% worse and only 2% above par for Oracle Park.

Devers is a prime-age 28, with a contract averaging a relatively reasonable $31.8 million over the next eight seasons, and he’s leaving a Red Sox team where his defensive positioning — he has played all but six of his career defensive innings at third base — was a manner of much debate, to go to a team that has one of baseball’s best defensive third basemen in Matt Chapman (once he’s healthy following a hand injury). Devers’ unwillingness to play first base probably played a big part in his ultimately being traded, and it’s worth pointing out that one of the positions where the Giants are weakest is, well, also first base.

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Perez: Devers gives Giants a ‘really good offense’

Eduardo Perez, David Cone and Karl Ravech react to the Giants acquiring star 3B Rafael Devers from the Red Sox.

Devers’ raw power is immense, as he has greater than 95th percentile barrel and hard-hit rates this season. He has been in that tier or better in the latter in each of the past three seasons as well. He’s at a 33-homer (and 34 per 162 games) pace since the beginning of 2021, so the slugger should continue to homer at a similar rate regardless of his surroundings. He should easily snap the Giants’ drought of 30-homer hitters, which dates back to Barry Bonds in 2004. Devers’ fantasy value might slip slightly, mostly due to the park’s impact on his runs scored and RBIs, but he’ll remain a top-four fantasy third baseman.

If you play in an NL-only league, Devers is an open-the-wallet free agent target. He’s worth a maximum bid, considering he brings a similar ability to stars you might invest in come the July trade deadline, except in this case you’ll get an extra month and a half’s production.

Harrison is an intriguing pickup for the Red Sox, though in a disappointing development, he was immediately optioned to Triple-A Worcester. A top-25 overall prospect as recently as two years ago, Harrison’s spike in average fastball velocity this season (95.1 mph, up from 92.5) could be a signal of better things ahead. Once recalled to Fenway Park, his fantasy prospects would take a hit, as that’s a venue that isn’t forgiving to fly ball-oriented lefties, but he’d be a matchups option nevertheless.

Expect Hicks to serve in setup relief for his new team, though he’d at best be fourth in the Red Sox’s pecking order for saves.

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