Team Israel wins again, surpasses prior records though it won't advance in World Baseball Classic

Team Israel doubled its win total from its previous World Baseball Classic appearance and closed out the 2026 tournament with a victory on Tuesday. But it was not enough to advance to the quarterfinals.

Israel defeated the Netherlands 6-2, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to even its tournament record at 2-2—good enough for third place in the pool of five teams.

By winning at least one game, the team automatically qualified for the next World Baseball Classic, likely to be held in 2029. Team Israel went 1-3 in 2023.

“It’s amazing to me that even tonight, despite the fact that Netherlands and Is...