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Whit Merrifield
Whit Merrifield (Whitley David Merrifield), MLB second baseman and utility player for Royals, Blue Jays, Phillies, Braves; led AL in steals three times, led Majors in hits 2018-19, three-time All-Star.
Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford (Edward Charles Ford, 1928–2020), Yankees Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher, "Chairman of the Board"; 236–106, 2.75 ERA, record 10 World Series wins, 1961 Cy Young, No. 16 retired.
Whitey Herzog
Whitey Herzog (Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog, 1931–2024), Hall of Fame manager of the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, won the 1982 World Series and three pennants with speed-and-defense "Whiteyball."
Wiffle ball
Wiffle ball, also spelled whiffle ball, is a baseball-sized hollow plastic ball with eight oblong holes on one half, invented in 1953 by David N. Mullany in Connecticut so it curves without spin; sold by Wiffle Ball Inc. from Shelton, Connecticut.
Wil Myers
Wil Myers (William Bradford Myers, born 1990) is a former MLB outfielder/first baseman; 2013 AL Rookie of the Year with the Rays, 2016 All-Star and Padres franchise-record contract signer, later Reds, retired 2023.
Will Brick
Will Brick (born 2008) is a catcher from Memphis, Tennessee, drafted 131st overall in 2026 by the Toronto Blue Jays out of Christian Brothers HS; signed for $2,497,500 and assigned to the FCL Blue Jays.
Will Clark
Will Clark (William Nuschler Clark Jr., born 1964), "Will the Thrill," American MLB first baseman for the Giants, Rangers, Orioles, and Cardinals; six-time All-Star, 1989 NLCS MVP, career .303 with 284 home runs, 2017 Today's Game Era Hall ballot finalist.
Will Klein (baseball)
Will Klein (William Boone Klein, born 1999) is an MLB relief pitcher for the Dodgers; drafted 135th overall by Kansas City in 2020 from Eastern Illinois, he won 2025 World Series Game 3 with four scoreless innings.
Will Smith (catcher)
Will Smith (William Dills Smith, born 1995) is the Los Angeles Dodgers' All-Star catcher, drafted 32nd overall in 2016. Hit the 2025 World Series Game 7-winning homer and caught a record 73 Series innings; known for elite hitting and throwing but weak framing.
Willie Mays
Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid" (1931-2024), American MLB center fielder for the Giants and Mets; 660 home runs, 3,293 hits, 12 Gold Gloves, two NL MVPs, 1954 "The Catch", Hall of Fame 1979.
Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey (1938–2018), "Stretch," American MLB first baseman for the San Francisco Giants, Padres, and Athletics; 521 home runs, 1959 NL Rookie of the Year, 1969 NL MVP, 18 grand slams, Hall of Fame 1986 first ballot.
Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell (Wilver Dornel Stargell, "Pops"), 1940-2001, Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder and first baseman for 21 seasons; Pirates all-time leader with 475 home runs, 1,540 RBI and 953 extra-base hits; 1979 MVP sweep; Hall of Fame 1988 first ballot.
Willson Contreras
Willson Contreras, Venezuelan MLB first baseman and former catcher (Cubs 2016-22, Cardinals 2023-25, Red Sox 2026), 2016 World Series champion, three-time All-Star, traded to Boston in December 2025.
Wilmer Flores
Wilmer Flores (Wilmer Alejandro Flores, "Catire"), born 1991 in Valencia, Venezuela, is a Venezuelan MLB infielder (Mets 2013-18, Diamondbacks 2019, Giants 2020-25) who debuted on his 22nd birthday, won the 2022 Willie Mac Award, and joined Toros de Tijuana in 2026.
Wilson Warbirds
Wilson Warbirds: Milwaukee Brewers Class-A Carolina League minor league baseball team in Wilson, North Carolina, formerly the Carolina Mudcats of Zebulon; debuted April 14, 2026 at downtown Wilson Ballpark.
Win–loss record (pitching)
A win–loss record (pitching) is a baseball statistic counting a pitcher's credited wins and losses, written as two numbers separated by a hyphen, such as 20–5.
Women in baseball
Women in baseball: women's play since 1866 (Vassar Resolutes), the AAGPBL (1943-1954), pioneers like Jackie Mitchell, Toni Stone, Kim Ng, and the 2026 Women's Pro Baseball League and Women's Baseball World Cup.
Women's baseball
Women's baseball: baseball played by female athletes, distinct from softball. Key facts: Vassar team 1866, AAGPBL 1943-1954, WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup since 2004 (Japan dominant), WPBL US pro league from 2026.
Women's Baseball World Cup
The Women's Baseball World Cup is the WBSC's premier international tournament for women's national baseball teams, held since 2004. The United States won the first two editions; Japan has won every title since 2008, seven straight through 2024.
Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series (WCWS): the eight-team final of the NCAA Division I softball championship, held at Devon Park in Oklahoma City with double-elimination play and a best-of-three final; Texas won the 2025 and 2026 titles.
Women's Pro Baseball League
Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL), also Women's Professional Baseball League: US women's pro hardball league co-founded by Justine Siegal and Keith Stein, launching August 1, 2026 with four teams, the first since the AAGPBL folded in 1954.
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament for national teams, first held in 2006 and created by Major League Baseball and the MLBPA.
World baseball softball confederation
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), world governing body of baseball and softball, formed 14 April 2013 in Tokyo by merging IBAF and ISF; IOC-recognized, Pully, Switzerland headquarters, 207 members, president Riccardo Fraccari.
World Series
World Series: MLB's annual best-of-seven championship between the American and National League champions, first played 1903 (Boston Americans vs Pittsburgh Pirates); not held only in 1904 and 1994; 2-3-2 format since 1925.
World Series Most Valuable Player Award
Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award, MLB's World Series MVP given since 1955; first winner Johnny Podres; renamed for Willie Mays in 2017; fan vote counts 20 percent; Bobby Richardson the only losing-team winner.
Wyatt Olds
Wyatt Olds (Christopher Wyatt Olds), American MLB relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox; born 1999 Oklahoma City, drafted 7th round 2021 from Oklahoma, debuted August 17, 2026, 1.15 ERA rookie season.
Xander Bogaerts
Xander Bogaerts (X-Man), Aruban MLB shortstop for the San Diego Padres, formerly Boston Red Sox; two World Series titles, five Silver Sluggers, 11-year $280M Padres contract, career .283 with 210 HR.
Yadier Molina
Yadier Molina, nicknamed Yadi, is a Puerto Rican former catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning nine Gold Gloves and two World Series.
Yamato Fujita
Yamato Fujita (藤田 倭) is a Japanese softball pitcher, born in 1990 in Sasebo, Nagasaki, who won gold with Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Yan Gomes
Yan Gomes, born 1987 in São Paulo, Brazil, is a former MLB catcher (2012–2024) and the first Brazilian-born major leaguer; 2014 Silver Slugger, 2018 All-Star, caught the final out of the 2019 World Series.