Two Slots Swapped, One Loaded Field
32nd Honkbalweek
June 26 – July 4
Pim Mulierstadion
9 days, 21 games
Two Replacements, One Tournament
In a span of six weeks, the 2026 Honkbalweek Haarlem field rewrote itself. Japan, the defending champion, withdrew in late March; tournament director Peter Herkemij announced the Czech Republic as the replacement on March 28. Then on May 11, the Dominican Republic — set to make its first-ever Haarlem appearance — pulled out citing funding constraints; the International Globetrotters, affiliated with Baseball Jobs Overseas, were named in their place. Two of six slots, swapped between January and May. The result: a six-team field of the host Netherlands, Italy, Chinese Taipei, Curaçao, the Czech Republic, and the Globetrotters — somehow still one of the deepest, most internationally interesting fields the 32nd edition could have asked for.
Who Is In, Who Is Out
Czech Republic in for Japan
Japan, the defending champion and a five-time Honkbalweek winner, was unable to assemble a team for the 2026 trip and withdrew in March. In their place: the Czech Republic — a federation on a serious upswing in international baseball. The Czechs recently finished third at the European Championship, and were one of the most popular surprise teams of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Tournament director Peter Herkemij, in announcing the Czech entry: “Their recent performances and the way they approach the sport of baseball are a perfect fit for our event. I am therefore delighted to welcome the Czech Republic as a debutant in Haarlem.” The Czechs will take Japan’s place in the schedule slot-for-slot.
Honkbalweek status · First-time participant
Recent international · 3rd at European Championship
WBC 2026 · Crowd-favorite surprise team
International Globetrotters in for the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic, set to make its first-ever Haarlem appearance, was unable to secure the funding to travel. In their place: the International Globetrotters — an internationally-assembled club affiliated with Baseball Jobs Overseas, the organization that has placed players into more than 2,500 contracts across 40 countries since 2013.
The Globetrotters roster is purpose-built for international competition: NCAA Division I and II players, talent from Canada and Europe, and American players currently competing in European pro leagues. This is not a hobby outfit. The team won the 2022 Prague Baseball Week as the Hakusah Globetrotters, beating Spain in the championship.
Affiliation · Baseball Jobs Overseas (est. 2013)
Roster mix · D-I/D-II + Canada + Europe + Americans abroad
Career placements · 2,500+ contracts · 40 countries
Last federation event · 2022 Prague Baseball Week (champion)
Six Teams at Pim Mulier
The confirmed 2026 Honkbalweek Haarlem field, after the two replacements:
Chinese Taipei · second confirmed (Jan 24) · returning from 2024
Italy · third confirmed (Feb 2) · returning from 2024, fresh off WBC semifinal run
Kingdom of the Netherlands · host nation (Feb 5)
Czech Republic · replacement for Japan (Mar 28) · Honkbalweek debutant
International Globetrotters · replacement for Dominican Republic (May 11) · non-federation club
The United States, which leads the tournament’s all-time medal count with 14 golds, elected not to participate in 2026.
Nine Days, 21 Games, Three Slots a Day
Honkbalweek Haarlem 2026 will run a full day longer than previous editions — the organizers added a day to the 32nd edition. The format is a single round robin June 26 through July 1, with playoffs July 2–3 and the championship Saturday, July 4. Three game slots per day: 11:30, 15:00, and 19:30 local time (Central European). If the Kingdom of the Netherlands is playing, they slot into the 19:30 window.
Sat Jun 27 · 11:30 Ch Taipei v Curaçao · 15:00 Globetrotters v Czechia · 19:30 Italy v Netherlands
Sun Jun 28 · 11:30 Globetrotters v Italy · 15:00 Ch Taipei v Netherlands · 19:30 Czechia v Curaçao
Mon Jun 29 · 15:00 Ch Taipei v Czechia · 19:30 Curaçao v Italy
Tue Jun 30 · 15:00 Globetrotters v Ch Taipei · 19:30 Netherlands v Curaçao
Wed Jul 1 · 11:30 Italy v Ch Taipei · 15:00 Curaçao v Globetrotters · 19:30 Czechia v Netherlands
Fri Jul 3 · 15:00 #5 vs #6 · 19:30 Loser-17 vs Winner-16
Sat Jul 4 · 12:00 Old Star Game · Winner-17 vs Winner-19 (Championship)
The Old Star Game on July 4 morning is a Honkbalweek tradition — alumni and tournament veterans on the field before the title game.
Watch the Stars Before MLB Does
Haarlem has a track record of putting future MLB and NPB stars on display before the rest of the world catches on. The 2022 United States team at Pim Mulier was a draft class in miniature: Paul Skenes, the future National League Cy Young contender; Dylan Crews, now a centerpiece of the Washington Nationals’ rebuild; Wyatt Langford, breaking out with the Texas Rangers; Jacob Wilson, the Athletics’ everyday shortstop; and catcher Kyle Teel. They were all college players in Haarlem four years ago. They are all in MLB now.
Japan’s 2018 Haarlem roster carried similar weight. It included future Eiji Sawamura Award winner Hiromi Itoh and future NPB star Teruaki Sato. The Globetrotters, drawing from a similar Division-I-level talent pool, slot directly into that tradition: you are watching the next professional class arrive, two or three years before they arrive on the screens you usually watch.
Haarlem Has Always Made Room
Honkbalweek Haarlem has been running, in some form, since 1961, and biennially since 1972 — the only exception being 2020, lost to COVID. Across that history, the field has consistently included unusual entries: American club teams, military squads, university programs, regional all-star outfits. The Honkbalweek organizers, in announcing the Globetrotters, specifically invoked the Sullivans of Grand Rapids, Michigan as historical precedent.
The Grand Rapids Sullivans played Haarlem fourteen times between 1963 and 1998, winning the tournament a record six times — more than any other participating team. Their longtime leader, Bob Sullivan, passed away in February 2026 at age 88. The Honkbalweek organization marked his passing at length; their announcement of the Globetrotters two months later, citing his Sullivans as the model, reads in part as a tribute.
Reno Astros · 2004 · Pac-10 Conference All-Stars · 1990
U. of Miami · 1980, 1982 · U. of Iowa · 1984 · Washington State · 1984
UCLA · 1980 · U. of Arizona · 1974, 1976
Alaska Goldpanners · 1972
United States Air Forces in Europe · 1971, 1974, 1976
Mitsubishi Japan Industrial · 1980
California Stags · 1966, 1969, 1971
Detroit ITM · 1971 · Berlin Bears (Germany) · 1969
Augsburg Bayonets · 1966 · England Spartans · 1963 · French Woods · 1963
The Globetrotters are not the first non-federation club to walk into Pim Mulier. They are the latest in a six-decade tradition.
What Pim Mulier Looks Like
Pim Mulierstadion, capacity around 2,500, sits in the Haarlemmerhout park area and produces some of the most intimate ballpark atmosphere in international baseball — close to the field, packed with Dutch and traveling supporters, with full live broadcast feeds on the tournament’s digital platforms. The official Honkbalweek organization released a save-the-date video for the 2026 edition in November 2025.
Honkbalweek.nl + WBSC Europe + WBN On-Site
The official tournament site at honkbalweek.nl publishes the full schedule, ticket information, and live streaming details. WBSC Europe historically carries free livestreams of European national-team competition on YouTube. Regular and VIP tickets went on sale February 27, 2026. WBN will be on the ground in Haarlem with live coverage throughout the tournament.
Reporting From Haarlem
WBN will be in Haarlem in person for the 2026 tournament. Daily game coverage, post-tournament analysis, and the only English-language follow on the Globetrotters experiment will run on worldbaseball.com from June 26 through July 4. Follow the WBN voices below for live updates from Pim Mulier.
Why the 2026 Field Is Better Than It Looks
At first glance, the 2026 Honkbalweek Haarlem field reads like a list of who could not make it. Japan — the defending champion, the five-time winner — could not assemble a team. The Dominican Republic — a first-ever Haarlem invitee — could not secure the funding. The United States — the all-time medal leader — elected not to participate. Three of the most marketable names in international baseball, absent.
The more honest read is that the 2026 field is, in some ways, more interesting than it would have been with all three. Italy arrives off its WBC 2026 semifinal run, the most-discussed European national team in years. Chinese Taipei returns as the Asian power in the field. Curaçao, the Caribbean’s most consistent baseball federation outside the WBC big names, is back. The Czech Republic debuts in Haarlem after a third-place European Championship and a crowd-favorite WBC. The Globetrotters bring a roster of Division-I-and-II Americans plus Canadian and European pros, in the tradition of the Sullivans of Grand Rapids. And the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as host, gets every prime-time slot.
The story of Honkbalweek 2026 is not what dropped out. It is what showed up. A rising European federation, a barnstorming American-and-international club, a WBC-semifinal nation, and a host program with home-field nights every game day. That is a tournament worth flying to.
First pitch: June 26, 15:00 local time, Italy vs Czech Republic. We will be there.
A publication of the World Baseball Network. WBN follows the international game to its sources — in Haarlem, this June, in person.
Verified May 19, 2026 · Honkbalweek Haarlem · June 26 – July 4, 2026 · Pim Mulierstadion · Reporting by Matt Tallarini · Sources: honkbalweek.nl, WBSC Europe
