A total of 1,080 days have passed since that iconic moment when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to clinch the World Baseball Classic for Japan.

And today, the 2026 edition kicked off with two cracking games, reminding us exactly why we love this format of international baseball.

First up: Chinese Taipei vs Australia – played in the middle of the night for UK viewers. With TNT Sports not showing any non-GB pool games, the UK audience was probably… intimate.

AUSTRALIA 3–0 CHINESE TAIPEI

Reading the post-match coverage, it appears Australia “shocked” the world. Well, that’s the part of the world that doesn’t pay attention. One of life’s great truths is that Australia rocks at sport.

Yes, Chinese Taipei are ranked second in the world. Yes, they are the reigning Premier12 champions. But never, ever underestimate Australia in any sport.

They blanked Chinese Taipei in front of an electric Tokyo Dome crowd. And they did it with elite pitcher management.

All three Australian pitchers threw fewer than 50 pitches – meaning they’ll be available again on Saturday.

WBC Pitch Rule Refresher:

Max 65 pitches in pool play
50+ pitches = four days mandatory rest
30–49 pitches = one day rest

That matters because in tight pools, arms win tournaments.

The game started with four scoreless innings apiece; this always felt like it would come down to a moment.

It arrived in the fifth.

Reliever Po-Yu Chen’s first pitch – a dramatic curveball – spiralled off the plate and drilled Rixon Wingrove on the foot.

One on.

Step up Robbie Perkins, Australian Baseball League royalty.

He didn’t need a second invitation. A middle-middle 92mph fastball was launched into the opposite-field stands.

2–0 Australia.

Game on.

Everyone knew Chinese Taipei would get its chances, and a big one arrived at the top of the sixth, with one man on and the captain coming to the plate.

In 2024, Chieh-Hsien Chen smashed a three-run homer to win the Premier12 and snap Japan’s 27-game win streak. It was the most important hit in Taiwanese baseball. Could he deliver again?

Tying run at the plate. 0–2 count.

Jack O’Loughlin’s fastball ran in and cracked Chen on the hand.

You could call it “one that got away.”

You could also call it… a convenient “one that got away.”

Chen left with a fractured finger – likely tournament-ending – compounding an already injury-hit roster.

From the dugout, ice pack strapped on, he tried to rally his side. The game was still there for the taking.

But big moments call for big personalities.

Step up Cleveland’s top prospect – the first Australian ever taken with the first overall pick – Travis Bazzana.

In a somewhat disappointing season, the 23-year-old failed to reach double-digit homers in 2025, but put the green and gold cap on his head, and he becomes Superman.

A Bazzana bomb was launched off Yi Chang, extending Australia’s lead to what would become an unassailable 3-0.

But Chinese Taipei don’t do quiet exits. Australia had a three-run lead and only needed three outs. The word “only” doing a lot of heavy lifting. It was tense.

Cheng-Hui Sung singles. Australia challenges. Overturned.

Yu Chang hustles. Called out. Challenge. Overturned.

Kungkuan Giljegiljaw singles.

Two on. Tying run at the plate.

You could feel the collective inhale in Melbourne.

One swing could tie the game. Lyle Lin gave it a swing, but to the frustration of the vociferous crowd, it was caught on the warning track.

Melbourne exhales.

They can call it an upset on paper, but on the diamond, it looked like a team sick of being patronised.

And in Pool C – where there are no easy games – that opening win feels massive.

KOREA 11–4 CZECHIA

The perfectly scheduled 10:00am UK game featured everyone’s favourite underdogs, Czechia, against one of baseball’s juggernauts, Korea.

The differences were stark. The KBO is the third-strongest league in the world, and the roster is peppered with MLB experience. For Czechia, they have a guy who once caught a foul ball in Yankee Stadium.

If Czechia wanted to get off to a good start, they failed, as Daniel Padysak couldn’t find the strike zone and loaded the bases.

Bo Gyeong Moon delivered a literal moonshot – first-inning grand slam.

Padysak’s day ended after 18 pitches.

Korea’s starter, Hyeong Jun So, is a groundball machine, boasting a 56% groundball rate and allowing just 28 home runs in 590 innings. If Czechia were to get back into this, it wouldn’t be via the long ball.

And thanks to a single, a walk, and then a bunt from William Escala, Czechia loaded the bases.

It was a Hollywood moment. And it fell to the youngest player on the roster, Max Prejda. The 18-year-old showed impressive composure to leave a couple of close pitches but then lined out to end the inning.

Korea’s starting lineup featured a handful of MLB players, including second baseman Hyesong Kim, who won a World Series ring with the Dodgers.

But it was the guy who made just 20 appearances for the Astros last year who grabbed the headlines. Shay Whitcomb‘s homer made it 6-0, but that doesn’t tell the whole story – Czechia were out-hitting Korea 6-5.

That’s tournament baseball for you.

A tidy inning from Michal Kovala ended with a groundout of Jung Hoo Lee – the Giants’ outfielder who posted a 110 OPS+ across 617 plate appearances last season.

Then came hope.

Czechia’s tenacity scratched together a couple of base runners, and then it was their only player with MLB experience coming to the plate. Wait for it… Terrin Vavra had one AB with the Orioles last year.

And he demolished the ball into the stands for a three-run home run.

Suddenly: 6–3. Game on.

Briefly.

Kovala clipped Moon. Perhaps still distracted, served one up for Whitcomb to become only the third Korean player in WBC history with a multi-homer game.

Hyesong Kim worked a walk. His reputation for running – 27 steals in 29 attempts across the majors and minors last year – preceded him.

He drew three failed pickoff attempts to enjoy a free trip to second base.

Whitcomb came to the plate looking for an historic third home run, but his high-fly became a sac-fly.

Korea continued to edge up the score, and, bizarrely, given that Czechia were matching their opponents in hits, the mercy rule was in sight.

WBC Mercy Rule Refresher:

15-run lead after five innings
10-run lead after seven

And the mercy-rule threat grew closer when Jahmai Jones came to the plate. The 28-year-old was quietly sensational for Detroit last season, posting a .937 OPS as a part-time player.

You see, the Tigers don’t let him hit righties. Korea did. He dumped RHP Lukas Hlouch‘s curveball into the crowd.

Manager Pavel Chadim used 19 of his 30-man roster, and it was pinch-hitter Jan Pospisil‘s sac fly that added a consolation run.

Final score: 11–4

Korea look worthy favourites to progress as Group winners, but Czechia will pose problems for every team they encounter.

Day one done and dusted.

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Featured image by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images