Venezuelan baseball players Wilyer Abreu and Eduardo Rodriguez led Venezuela to their first-ever World Baseball Classic title, defeating Team USA 3-2. Despite a disappointing end to the Red Sox contingent, the tournament saw a positive outcome for current Red Sox outfielder Abreur and former Boston pitcher Rodriguez. The team also had a strong performance from newcomers Willson Contreras and Eugenio Suárez. Despite the loss of Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock and current Boston right-hander Brayan Bello, who had a 1.80 ERA for the Dominican Republic, was also a standout performer in the tournament.