Baseball World Reacts to Japan’s Instant Classic WBC Win Over USA

For the third time in the event’s history, Japan goes home with the trophy.

The entire 2023 World Baseball Classic was building to the exact moment that arrived in the ninth inning: two outs, a one-run game, and Japan’s Shohei Ohtani on the mound to face Team USA’s Mike Trout. The Angels teammates held up their end of the deal to deliver an iconic moment—and one that culminated in Japan’s dominant run to its third WBC title.

Ohtani struck out Trout on six pitches, getting his fellow MVP to whiff on three swings to clinch a 3–2 victory. The electric at-bat was the exclamation point on an undefeated tournament for the Japanese, who went 7–0 and outscored opponents 56–18. Ohtani was named the event’s MVP after batting .435/.606/.739 with two wins, the title-clinching save and a 1.86 ERA on the mound.

Trout vs. Ohtani 🔥

What an ending 👏

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/xeUOrvDP9i

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 22, 2023

The result capped a thrilling tournament that served as a perfect appetizer to the fast-approaching MLB season. And Ohtani’s finale against Trout only furthered the excitement and provided a fitting ending.

Naturally, the resolution to this year’s WBC inspired tons of reactions across social media. Here are some of the best of the bunch.

NOBODY ELSE HIT A BALL HARDER OR THREW A PITCH HARDER THAN SHOHEI OHTANI DID, THE ENTIRE WBC

LET THAT SINK IN

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 22, 2023

Give Ohtani a billion dollars. Mythical unicorn god on the baseball field!

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 22, 2023

We’ll never know the outcome of Japan vs. U.S.A. had both teams been made up entirely of human beings. pic.twitter.com/en31rcYPg1

— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) March 22, 2023

Japan won the World Baseball Classic. The real winners though: the entire game of baseball

In an era where rules have changed and ratings have declined, the WBC just found a way to bring the game of baseball to millions of sports fans world wide.

Baseball fans worldwide won.

— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) March 22, 2023

Ohtani's look:

"We're teammates, but I'm gonna destroy you" face pic.twitter.com/LWg7JUQcq3

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 22, 2023

Man, it really is wild to have spent the whole game wondering about some perfectly scripted fairytale scenario like "two outs, bottom of the ninth, tying run at the plate, Ohtani v. Trout" and then it just... delivers. Every bit as cool as it seemed it could be. Hot damn.

— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) March 22, 2023

Take note MLB pitchers: All it takes to get Mike Trout out is a 100mph fastball and an 89mph slider that breaks like a foot and a half at the last second. That's it.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) March 22, 2023

Nobody has ever deserved this giant Pog slammer more than Shohei Ohtani https://t.co/dCDdpeWnIw

— Pablo Torre 🕳️ (@PabloTorre) March 22, 2023

Having Ohtani and Trout and finishing below .500 is like losing the Tour de France even though they let you use a motorcycle.

— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) March 22, 2023

The Japanese call of Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout is as incredible as you’d expect. #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/6PwubAUpLT

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) March 22, 2023