The ten greatest international baseball moments in 2024

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of Michael Clair's International Beat Newsletter, bringing global baseball news to your inbox every month. Sign up for future installments HERE and check out the full newsletter HERE.

Before we get too far into the new year (some of us are still struggling to write “2025”), let’s look back at the 10 best international baseball moments from the previous 12 months. I think you'll find there was plenty to celebrate.

10. Japan wins its seventh consecutive Women’s Baseball World Cup gold medal

Japan is the No. 1 baseball nation in the world according to WBSC ranking for both its men’s and women’s teams. Given its success on the international stage, you certainly can’t disagree. Though the USA was able to break Japan’s winning streak, which stretched back to the 2012 tournament in the group stage, Japan emerged victorious when it counted most. Thanks in part to three consecutive safety squeezes -- something I’ve never seen before -- Japan defeated the U.S., 11-6, for another gold medal. Outfielder Miu Shiraishi took home the MVP Award.

9. Tommy Edman wins the NLCS MVP Award

Edman made history as the first American-born player to play for Korea at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, Edman’s experience didn’t quite mirror his former Cardinals teammate Lars Nootbaar, who became a hero in Japan for his turn playing for Samurai Japan. Korea struggled at the tournament and Edman was dropped to the bottom of the lineup.

This year, as the Dodgers raced to their 8th World Series title, Edman put on a show in the NLCS, hitting .407 with a home run and 11 RBIs, while playing solid defense at shortstop. He’ll now be joined by his Team Korea teammate, Hye-seong Kim, on the Dodgers next year.

8. Marek Chlup becomes the first player from Czechia to sign with an NPB team

Chlup has shown off a powerful bat, a strong glove, and a rocket arm wherever he’s gone: Whether at Division II North Greenville, the Lake Country Dockhounds of the American Association, or with the Czech Republic national team. It was his first-inning double against Samurai Giants flamethrower and soon-to-be Major Leaguer Roki Sasaki at the World Baseball Classic which first captured the eyes of Yomiuri Giants scouts.

After following him for two summers and watching as the Czech Republic further solidified its sporting friendship with Japan, they made an offer, inking Chlup to a developmental contract with the Yomiuri Giants. He’s the first Czech player to sign with an NPB team and a further sign of how baseball can continue to grow and be nurtured around the world.

Chlup impressed in fall ball and will soon head to Spring Training where the team has high hopes.

7. Rintaro Sasaki homers in U.S. debut

The barrel-shaped slugger set the Japanese high school home run record and was expected to be selected first in the NPB draft. Instead, though, Sasaki chose to enroll at Stanford University. After training with the team during their spring season, he made his U.S. debut in the MLB Draft League, where he homered in his very first game.

After hitting four home runs in the Draft League, where he was nearly three years younger than his competition, he hammered three home runs in just nine games for Greenville in the Appalachian League. He’ll make his college debut this year and all eyes will be watching.

6. ?ngel Padrón throws a Caribbean Series no-hitter

When ?ngel Padrón took the mound to face Nicaragua in last winter’s Caribbean Series, few expected the former Red Sox Minor Leaguer to throw a no-hitter. After all, there hadn’t been one thrown in the Caribbean Series since 1952! There were only 16 big league teams back then.

Padrón needed just 88 pitches to complete the 9-0 victory, one walk separating him from a perfect game.

5. Gustavo Campero hits his first big league home run

Campero, who hails from Nuevo Agrado, Colombia, has one of the more unlikely journeys to the Major Leagues. Originally signed as a 19-year-old catcher by the Yankees in 2017, Campero joined the Angels organization in 2021 – a year after winning MVP for the Colombian national team at the 2020 Americas Olympics Qualifiers. He spent much of 2022 with the Double-A Trash City Rocket Pandas, playing just six Minor League games, often working as the bullpen catcher while on the Minor League development list.

He approached the team before the 2023 season and offered to learn the outfield and even the infield – anything to get his bat in the lineup. Moved from behind the dish to a corner, he started his ascent through the Minor Leagues, eventually culminating in his big league debut on September 15th. Thirteen days later, against the Texas Rangers, Campero hit his first big league home run.

4. Samuel Aldegheri makes his big league debut

Alex Liddi was the first position player to reach the Major Leagues after being born and raised in Italy, playing three seasons with the Mariners from 2011-13. Until the Verona, Italy-native Aldegheri made his debut for the Angels on Aug. 30th, there had never been a pitcher born and developed in the country in big league history. In fact, it had been nearly 75 years since Marino Pieretti was the last Italian-born pitcher to appear in a big league game.

Aldegheri had to wait until his second appearance a week later to get his first win when he defeated the Rangers, striking out seven batters along the way.

3. Travis Bazzana is selected first overall

Thirty-eight players born in Australia have reached the Major Leagues. Until Travis Bazzana was picked first overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the Draft last year, none had even gone in the first round.

Just 22 years old, the Guardians sent Bazzana to High-A, where he hit three home runs and displayed a patient batting eye, posting a .369 OBP. After the season, Bazzana made his senior national team debut, leading off and playing second base – something he has been dreaming about for years – at the Premier12 tournament in November.

2. Shohei Ohtani goes 50/50

At this point, what can’t Ohtani do? I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up discovering the secret to renewable, clean energy by the All-Star Break. Though Ohtani didn’t pitch in 2024 while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, he made up for it by becoming the first player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases, falling one steal shy of a 50/60 season (but who’s counting?)

1. Chinese Taipei upsets Japan to win the Premier 12

Chinese Taipei had never won an elite men’s baseball tournament before, its best ever finish coming at the 1992 Summer Olympics when the team won silver. Few thought they had a chance at this fall’s Premier12, either, with some expressing shock that the team advanced to the super-round in Japan. When they advanced to play Japan in the final, a team that had won 27 consecutive international contests stretching back to 2019, well, it was almost assumed they would finish in second. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? A silver medal against the best team in international baseball?

Thanks to four shutout innings from D-backs prospect Yu-Min Lin and another big game from center fielder and team captain Chieh-Hsien Chen, Chinese Taipei pulled off the unthinkable: They defeated Samurai Japan, 4-0.

Now, the team will look to keep the good times going as they host the upcoming World Baseball Classic Qualifiers starting on Feb. 25.