The Premier12 saw Chinese Taipei defeat Samurai Japan in the Gold Medal Game. As a result, there is some movement in the top 10 of the WBSC/KONAMI Men’s World Baseball Rankings.
Despite losing the Premier12, Japan is in the top spot. The champions, Chinese Taipei, remain in No. 2. Both nations have established themselves as the class of international baseball in 2024.
“Chinese Taipei defeated Japan in the final of the WBSC Premier12 and reduced the gap with No. 1 from 1,638 to 1,368,” wrote WBSC. “Chinese Taipei has tallied 2,135 points in 2024, second only to Japan, which has added 2,449 points this year.”
The biggest news is Venezuela’s ranking at No. 3. According to WBSC, this is the first time Venezuela has occupied a top-3 ranking in the World.
The biggest movement in the top 10 comes from Mexico and Panama. Mexico dropped two spots to No. 4 following its disappointing 2-3 Premier12 appearance. Panama actually rose two spots, from No. 10 to No. 8. Panama finished 3-2 at the Premier12.
The movement in the top 10 also resulted in Puerto Rico and Cuba dropping a spot. Despite putting together talented squads, both teams won just one game in the Premier12.
Despite much movement, the ten teams at the top of the rankings stayed the same. The Dominican Republic and Australia are the No. 11 and No. 12 squads. Both nations rose following their performance in the Premier12. Their movement into the top 12 is relevant because of the new format for the Premier12.
“With a new format and increase in the number of teams announced for the IV WBSC Premier12 – featuring two qualifiers in 2026 and the top 20 teams in the world involved – the release of this ranking marks the starting point for the race to the next Global Baseball Battle,” wrote WBSC. “The top 12 teams in the WBSC/Konami Men’s Baseball World Ranking at the end of 2025 will qualify directly for the 2027 Group Stage, while the teams ranked 13-18 and two Wild Cards will play the Premier12 Qualifiers to define the other four participants in the Group Stage.”
