Chinese Taipei wins gold in Premier12 with stunning upset over Japan
TOKYO ¨C ¡°We are writing our own history story,¡± Chinese Taipei manager Hao-Jiu Tseng said after his team upset the United States earlier this week to keep its Premier12 gold medal hopes alive. When the U.S. then defeated Venezuela on Friday, it guaranteed that Chinese Taipei would get to play
Meet the dancing, joyful slugger at the heart of Samurai Japan's greatness
TOKYO -- Before facing the rival USA Baseball team on Thursday night in the super-round of WBSC's Premier12 tournament, the cherubic Shugo Maki gathered his teammates around him near the Samurai Japan dugout. With the hint of a smile and a mischievous glint in his eye, the slugger gave his
From MLB Develops to repping USA vs. Japan, top prospect Johnson rising fast
TOKYO -- Move over, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. It¡¯s time for a new chapter in the baseball rivalry between Japan and the United States, 611 days after the unforgettable conclusion to the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The global powerhouses meet Thursday at the Tokyo Dome (7 p.m. local, 5
Powered by top prospects, USA Baseball advances to Premier12 super round
Rich Hill, the ageless wonder, started the game on the mound. Forty-four years old and coaching his son's Little League team just a few short months ago, Hill was called upon to face rival Mexico in a must-win game if the United States wanted to advance to Tokyo for the
World Baseball Classic Qualifiers announced
Sixteen teams are in for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and four spots remain for the main tournament. On Tuesday, the eight participating teams that will meet early next year in one of two Qualifiers were announced.
- 2026 World Baseball Classic pools and dates Four teams will play at
Carson Williams and three more Rays prospects lead Team USA
There are plenty of names for prospect hounds to get excited about on USA Baseball's roster for the Premier12, a tournament which pits the top 12 ranked baseball nations against each other. Four top 100 prospects dot the squad, including No. 22 overall prospect Matt Shaw, Phillies outfield prospect Justin
All you need to know about the Premier12 tournament
Thought baseball season was over? Did you watch the Dodgers parade through Los Angeles, champagne bubbling along the way and think you had to get through a baseball-free winter? Then, you¡¯re in luck: There¡¯s no such thing as a baseball offseason. Not when there's winter leagues around the globe: LIDOM
8 players to watch at Premier12 international tournament
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. The Premier12 tournament is here and play begins this weekend! Group A starts in
Local broadcasters helping bring -- and teach -- baseball to fans in India
As the ball took off from Nick Castellanos' bat during the top of the ninth inning of last year's Braves-Phillies NLDS Game 2, arcing toward the warning track in right-center field, the crowd at Truist Park in Atlanta held its breath. A home run would put Philadelphia in the lead.
Four Top 100 prospects named to Team USA Premier12? tournament roster?
Four Top 100 prospects and three other players ranked in their respective organizations' top 10 were named to Team USA¡¯s roster for the third World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12? tournament presented by RAXUS, USA Baseball announced on Monday. The international tournament featuring the world¡¯s 12 top-ranked teams will take
Japanese stars take postseason center stage, and the whole world is watching
Fifty-three thousand fans pushed their way through the turnstiles for the must-win contest as the Dodgers and Padres played for their postseason survival last week in NLDS Game 5. Five thousand miles away, when the day was just beginning for fans in Japan, millions more woke up and flipped on
Meet the only Minor Leaguer from one of the world¡¯s smallest nations
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.
World Baseball Classic 2026 pools, dates announced
Daisuke Matsuzaka carving up batters en route to back-to-back MVP Awards; Nelson Cruz¡¯s triumphant blast; Adam Jones¡¯ leaping home run robbery; Javier B¨¢ez¡¯s no-look tag; and Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout with the championship on the line -- these are just some of the World Baseball Classic¡¯s indelible moments that
These players used the Classic to prep for greatness
Each MLB player's preseason preparation for the long season ahead typically plays out in quaint locales in Florida and Arizona. Spring Training games are marked by their relaxed nature. Who wins or who loses ultimately doesn't matter. These weeks are about getting your body and mind ready while getting in
The 'future of baseball' came to play at Haarlem's Honkbalweek?
Paul Skenes took the mound and fired strike after strike past batters who were seemingly helpless to hit him. Dylan Crews, his teammate at LSU, was in right field and Florida's Wyatt Langford was in left. Fellow first-round Draft picks Jacob Wilson -- the A's -- and Kyle Teel (Red
Tokyo Yakult Swallows hosted a special 'American Baseball Weekend'?
With the sun shining and the hot dogs sizzling on the grill, fans filtered into the ballpark past the iconic MLB "Batter man" logo, the strains of organ music playing over the stadium. This might sound like a routine day out at the ballpark for an MLB fan, but this
Women's Baseball World Cup shows baseball's language is global
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the 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. This month, we have a special guest writer taking the lede as Julia
Piazza dreaming big while reshaping baseball¡¯s foundation in Italy
¡°It all starts with a dream.¡± Ask Mike Piazza about his goals for baseball in Italy and he¡¯ll likely find his way back to this thought. The Hall of Fame catcher has already made multiple noteworthy contributions to help support the country¡¯s baseball ambitions, representing Italy both on the field
Finding baseball heaven at Prague Baseball Week
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the 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.
Ah-Seop Son breaks KBO all-time hits record
The greatest hitters in baseball history have many things in common: A gorgeous swing, a keen eye at the plate and the kind of consistency that allows them to pester pitchers day in, day out, for dozens of years. The one thing that Ah-Seop Son, the KBO's newest all-time hits
Great Britain country guide?
It's a new day for baseball in Great Britain. Yes, the country that gifted us rounders made its first appearance in the World Baseball Classic in March 2023. After failing to make it to the Classic in previous qualifiers, new manager Drew Spencer reshaped the roster and brought in plenty
¡®He¡¯s tremendous¡¯: Italian pitching icon Maestri wows in coaching debut
Alessandro Maestri walked to the center of the room, standing before a group of Europe's best pitchers. Nine years ago he was in their shoes, preparing to represent the continent and his home country of Italy on the mound during the Global Baseball Games against some of the most fearsome
Fan favorite Nelson Figueroa looks back on incredible 2013 Classic win over USA
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Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami announced as World Baseball Classic 2026 hosts
Mark your calendars and clear your schedules: The World Baseball Classic will be returning in March 2026. On Thursday, it was announced where the action will take place when Samurai Japan tries to defend its World Baseball Classic crown against the rest of the world. The Tokyo Dome in Japan
Korea's new home run king talks breaking the record and his hit-by-pitch mark
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