Israel's Miracle Run (2017)

Israel was supposed to be eliminated in the qualifying rounds. They were a team of Jewish-American minor leaguers and ex-pros who qualified for Israel through their heritage. They had never qualified for a WBC before. Nobody knew their names. Then they won. And won. And kept winning.

Israel went 3-0 in Pool A, beating South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands. Each victory was more improbable than the last. Their dugout celebrations — featuring a team menorah and an inflatable dreidel — became the feel-good story of the 2017 tournament. Players who had been toiling in independent ball and minor leagues were suddenly representing their ancestors on the world's biggest baseball stage.

The run ended in the second round, but the impact was permanent. Israel proved that the WBC could create heroes from obscurity. Mensch on a Bench became their mascot. Cody Decker's post-game interviews became must-watch television. Baseball had its ultimate underdog, and the world loved every second of it.