Italy's Pool Play Upset of Mexico (2023)

Italy was supposed to be an easy out. A team of Italian-American heritage players — mostly minor leaguers and fringe MLB guys — was not expected to compete with Mexico's loaded roster. Then Italy beat them. And it was not a fluke.

Mike Piazza, managing Italy, had assembled a team that played with surprising cohesion and heart. The Italian roster featured players like Vinnie Pasquantino and David Fletcher, MLB players who chose to honor their Italian heritage by playing in the WBC. Their upset of Mexico sent a shockwave through the tournament bracket.

The victory demonstrated the WBC's unique power to create new baseball identities. Italy is not a baseball country. But Italian-Americans are a baseball culture, and when given the chance to wear the azzurro, they played with a passion that transcended their regular-season abilities. Italy's 2023 WBC run proved that heritage plus heart can beat talent plus expectation.