Israel Team Wins One, Eliminated from 2023 World Baseball Classic

Despite having no real history in the sport of baseball, this year, Israel’s team was hoping to show that their stunning advancement in the 2017 World Baseball Classic wasn’t just a fluke...and their start on Sunday in the 2023 tournament in Miami looked promising. But the hope was short-lived.

Thanks to the unique rules of the World Baseball Classic—anyone eligible for citizenship can play on the team—Israel fielded a squad of players from not only Israel but the US, Canada, and elsewhere.

On Sunday, the Israeli team came from behind to beat Nicaragua 3-1, leading some fans to wonder if what ESPN called the Israeli version of the “Jamaican Olympic bobsled team” would shine again as it did six years ago. But as they faced off against other teams from Central America, their dreams of advancing screeched to a halt.

On Monday night, Israel was shut out by the squad from Puerto Rico. And on Tuesday, the Israeli team only managed one hit and no runs against the Dominican Republic players, with the final score being 10-0.

Israel finished out their time at the tournament by playing Venezuela on Wednesday. While Israel failed to advance to the next round this time, their victory over the Nicaraguan team secured them a place in the WBC in 2026.

“That’s big for the organization,” said Israel manager Ian Kinsler.