The top executives of Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association conducted a joint news conference at Dodger Stadium, an hour before the start of the United States' 8-0 triumph over Puerto Rico in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic, and they spoke about the success and importance of the 2017 tournament.

After the 2017 Classic solidified the tournament's place on the global sports stage and broke viewership records across the United States, how will the Team USA roster shape up when the squad looks to defends its title in the 2021 tournament?

The 2017 World Baseball Classic has reached its conclusion, and the returns say the tournament was one for the history books. The fourth installment of the Classic set new event records for attendance, television ratings, digital consumption and merchandise sales.