MIAMI (AP) — On a night when All-Stars and future Hall of Famers thrilled fans and each other until the final out, Aaron Judge proclaimed the World Baseball Classic had grown into the sport’s biggest event.

“The World Series I was in, the crowd here, the crowd we had when we played against Mexico, it’s bigger and better than the World Series,” the U.S. captain said after a 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic that came down to Sunday night’s final pitch. “The passion that these fans have, representing their country, representing some of their favorite players, there’s nothing like it.”

kAmp>6C:42? EC25:E:@? 6>A92D:K:?8 F?56CDE2E6>6?E @? 2 E62> =65 3J yF586 2?5 qCJ46 w2CA6C H2D D9@H42D65 282:?DE {2E:? 7=2:C @? 2 D:56 762EFC:?8 yF2? $@E@ 2?5 ‘=25:>:C vF6CC6C@ yC] (96? yF?:@C r2>:?6C@ 9@>6C65 282:?DE !2F= $<6?6D E@ AFE E96 s@>:?:42?D 29625 😕 E96 D64@?5 :??:?8[ 96 46=63C2E65 H:E9 2? @G6C92?5 32E 7=:A]k^Am

kAmx? E96 D:IE9 E@FC?2>6?E @7 2? 6G6?E E92E DE2CE65 😕 a__e[ E96 82>6 762EFC65 DE2CE:?8 =:?6FAD 762EFC:?8 `f p==\$E2CD E@E2=:?8 de D6=64E:@?D 2>@?8 E96 a_ DE2CE6CD] %96J 925 H@? 7:G6 |’! 2H2C5D[ @?6 rJ *@F?8[ 7:G6 #@@<:6D @7 E96 *62C 2?5 E9C66 32EE:?8 E:E=6D]k^Am

kAmq67@C6 2 4C@H5 @7 be[bbf 2E x@2?s6A@E A2C<[ E96 &]$] @G6C42>6 E96 567:4:E @? 7@FCE9\:??:?8 9@>6 CF?D 3J vF??2C w6?56CD@? @77 {F:D $6G6C:?@ 2?5 #@>2? p?E9@?J 282:?DE vC68@CJ $@E@]k^Am

kAmp?E9@?J[ 2E a` E96 J@F?86DE p>6C:42? A=2J6C[ 925 3@F89E 2 E:4<6E 7@C E96 a_ab (qr 7:?2= 😕 |:2>: 2?5 H2E4965 7C@> E96 D62ED 2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H@C=5\32D632==\4=2DD:4\;2A2?\FD\@9E2?:\EC@FE\_h4ea_3gfae_7f5g6gfbe444g75hd_2eQmy2A2? 362E E96 &]$] b\ak^2m]k^Am

kAm“r@>:?8 E@ E96 (qr 96C6[ J@F 5C62> @7 C6AC6D6?E:?8 E9:D 4@F?ECJ 2?5 36:?8 96C6 E96 ?6IE E:>6 2C@F?5[” p?E9@?J D2:5]k^Am

kAmp>6C:42? C6=:6G6CD 2==@H65 EH@ 9:ED @G6C c a^b D4@C6=6DD :??:?8D[ 42AA65 3J |2D@? |:==6C E@AA:?8 `__ >A9 H:E9 `b @7 aa A:E496D] |:==6CVD =2DE 2AA62C65 E@ 36 =@H 7@C 32== 7@FC E@ v6C2=5@ !6C5@>@ 3FE A=2E6 F>A:C6 r@CJ q=2D6C 6>A92E:42==J D:8?2=65 DEC:<6 E9C66]k^Am

kAm“yFDE 2 82>6 H6’== C6>6>36C 7@C6G6C[ C:89En” &]$] >2?286C |2C< s6#@D2 D2:5] “(6 F?56CDE@@5 E9:D H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 E2=<65\23@FE 82>6[ AC@323=J @?6 @7 E96 >@DE H2E4965 82>6D @7 2== E:>6]”k^Am

kAmsJ?2>:4 5676?D6 H2D 4@>>@?A=246]k^Am

kAm(:E9 E96 &]$] EC2:=:?8 3J 2 CF? 😕 E96 E9:C5[ yF586 E9C6H 2 hd]f >A9 DEC:<6 7C@> C:89E 7:6=5 E@ E9:C5 32D6 E@ 4FE 5@H? u6C?2?5@ %2E:D yC] 7@C E96 :??:?8VD 7:?2= @FE] yF586 E96? >256 2 5:G:?8 324<=2?5 42E49 E@ C@3 $@E@[ 9:D 7@C>6C }6H *@C< *2?<66D E62>>2E6[ 😕 E96 7@FCE9]k^Am

kAmyF=:@ #@5Cí8F6K 56?:65 yF586 2 9@>6 CF? H:E9 2 =62A:?8 42E49 2E E96 46?E6C\7:6=5 H2== 😕 E96 7:7E9[ c_f 766E 7C@> E96 A=2E6]k^Am

kAm“x H2D =:<6[ ~z[ >2J36 H6 8@E 2 D9@E 96C6[” yF586 C642==65] “qFE 9:E :E E@ 2 8FJ =:<6 y\#@5[ H9@’D @?6 @7 E96 36DE :7 ?@E E96 36DE 46?E6C 7:6=56C 😕 E96 82>6[ 96’D 8@:?8 >2<6 6I4:E:?8 A=2JD =:<6 E92E 😕 3:8 >@>6?ED]”k^Am

kAm$9@CEDE@A q@33J (:EE C2?865 E@ E96 C:89E 7:6=5 D:56 @7 E96 :?7:6=5 E@ D?28 $@E@VD D=@H 3@F?46C 😕 E96 7:7E9[ D4C2>3=65 E@ 324< E@ E@F49 D64@?5 32D6 2?5 >256 2? @77\32=2?46 E9C@H E@ 7:CDE 7@C 2? :??:?8\6?5:?8 5@F3=6 A=2J] ~?6 :??:?8 =2E6C[ (:EE E9C6H @FE |2??J |24925@ 2E 7:CDE 7C@> E96 @FE7:6=5 8C2DD]k^Am

kAm!:E49:?8 >@>6?ED H6C6 >6>@C23=6[ E@@]k^Am

kAms@>:?:42? DE2CE6C {F:D $6G6C:?@ DEC2?565 CF??6CD 2E D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 😕 E96 E9:C5 :??:?8 H96? 96 DECF4< @FE yF586 2?5 zJ=6 $49H2C36C[ 2?5 $<6?6D 6D42A65 2 32D6D\=@2565 ;2> 😕 E96 7@FCE9 H96? pFDE:? (6==D 7=:65 @FE]k^Am

kAm(6==D 5@F3=65 H:E9 @?6 @FE 😕 E96 D6G6?E9 2?5 E96 C6=2E:G6=J D=@H\7@@E65 42E496C H2D 96=5 2E E9:C5 @? !6C5@>@VD D:?8=6 E@ rC@H\pC>DEC@?8 😕 46?E6C] s2G:5 q65?2C E96? DECF4< @FE %2E:D yC] 2?5 z6E6= |2CE6 @? 3C62<:?8 32==D 36=@H E96 DEC:<6 K@?6]k^Am

kAmq67@C6 |:==6C 8@E E96 DEC:<6 E9C66 42== 😕 E96 ?:?E9[ !6C5@>@ 925 7@F=65 @77 2 A2:C @7 7F==\4@F?E A:E496D]k^Am

kAm“%96 H9@=6 H@C=5 D2H 😕 EH@ E62>D D@>6 @7 E96 36DE A=2J6CD 😕 E96 82>6[” D2:5 s@>:?:42? >2?286C p=36CE !F;@=D[ 2 =:<6=J 7FEFC6 w2== @7 u2>6C]k^Am

kAm#@DE6CD :?4=F565 `g @7 E96 c` A=2J6CD H9@ C646:G65 |’! G@E6D =2DE J62C]k^Am

kAmyF586 82G6 2 A@DE82>6 DA6649 E@ E62>>2E6D[ =@@<:?8 29625 E@ %F6D52JVD 492>A:@?D9:A 282:?DE ‘6?6KF6=2 @C xE2=J] w6 925 A6C46:G65 2 DA64:2= ?:89E $F?52J 7C@> E96 DE2CE]k^Am

kAm“*@F 86E 49:==D DE2?5:?8 E96C6 @? E96 =:?6[ 962C:?8 E96> 2??@F?46 2== E96 ?2>6D[” 96 D2:5] “xE H2D =:<6 2? p==\$E2C E62> E96J 8@E @G6C E96C6]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^|{qk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.