Top 10 Baseball Tournaments

Baseball, known as America’s pastime, has been around since the 19th century. The Major League Baseball Playoffs, which culminate in the World Series, is the most popular baseball tournament in the world. There are several other notable baseball tournaments played in the United States and around the world. Read on to learn about the top 10 baseball tournaments.

What Are the Biggest Baseball Tournaments in the World?

1. MLB Playoffs (World Series)
2. World Baseball Classic
3. Baseball World Cup
4. Olympics
5. College World Series
6. Caribbean Series
7. Women's Baseball World Cup
8. Little League Baseball World Series
9. WBSC Premier 12
10. Asia Professional Baseball Championship

1. MLB Playoffs (World Series)

The MLB Playoffs is a postseason tournament played each year and is the most-watched baseball tournament in the world. The MLB Playoffs culminate with the World Series, which is the most popular baseball series in the world. Created in October of 1903, the World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates and had an attendance of just over 100,000. The 2022 World Series between the Astros and Phillies in 2022 averaged over 12 million viewers.

2. World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament held every four years. It is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation along with Major League Baseball. The first tournament was held in March of 2006 and won by Japan. The WBC is the only international baseball tournament to feature Major League players. It was created with the aim of increasing the popularity of the game around the world. The next WBC tournament is March 2023.

3. Olympics

Baseball was integrated into the Olympic games in the year 1900. At the time, the game was considered only a track and field session, and it wasn’t until 1992 in Barcelona that baseball was officially recognized. However, due to Olympic rules, only amateur players were allowed to participate in the game. To this day, Major League players are not allowed to participate. Baseball was omitted from the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and returned in 2020.

4. College World Series

The College World Series is a national tournament held annually in Omaha, Nebraska. It is played every June and is composed of 64 NCAA Division I teams. Once the tournament narrows to eight teams, the games are held at Omaha. The first College World Series was played in 1947 and was won by the University of California. The University of Southern California currently reigns as the most successful college, boasting 12 College World Series Championships.

5. Caribbean Series

The Caribbean Series is a tournament held annually between the champions of the Caribbean winter leagues. The tournament includes the winners of the Puerto Rican Winter League, Dominican Winter League, Venezuelan League, and Mexican Pacific League. The tournament began in 1949 and has been held annually since, barring a 10-year pause from 1960 to 1970. Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic holds the record for the most number of championships with 10.

6. Women’s Baseball World Cup

The Women’s Baseball World Cup is an international tournament in which international women’s baseball teams compete every two years. The Women’s Baseball World Cup was founded in 2004 after being approved by the International Baseball Federation. It has been held eight times since 2004. It replaced the Women’s Baseball World Series, which featured the same four countries in each tournament. The Japanese Women’s National Team holds the record for the most number of championships, with six.

7. Little League Baseball World Series

On August 23, 1947, the first Little League World Series was played at Memorial Park in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It featured 12 teams, 11 of which were from Pennsylvania. Since then, the Little League World Series has become an international tournament with over 28 countries participating. The first Little League World Series was won by Maynard, a team from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Since then, California has recorded the most Little League World Series Championships with seven.

8. WBSC Premier 12

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The WBSC Premier 12 is an international baseball tournament founded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The tournament hosts the top 12 national baseball teams in the world who compete for the championship. The WBSC Premier 12 was founded in 2015 and is played every four years. South Korea and Japan are the most decorated teams in the competition with two medals to their name. The Premier 12 serves as a qualifier for the Olympics.

9. Asia Professional Baseball Championship

The Asia Professional Baseball Championship is an international baseball tournament founded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation alongside the Chinese Professional Baseball League, Nippon Professional Baseball League, and Korea Baseball Organization. The tournament was founded in 2017 and is scheduled to be played every four years. It consists of the under-24 national teams of South Korea, Japan, and China. The 2017 Asia Professional Baseball Championship was played in Tokyo, Japan, and won by Japan.

10. Baseball World Cup

The Baseball World Cup was an international tournament that dates back to 1938. It was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation. After a successful 38 World Cups, the Baseball World Cup was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the World Baseball Classic. The Baseball World Cup was an amateur tournament from 1938 to 1998. In 1998, the MLBPA allowed minor league players to participate in the Baseball World Cup, but Major League players never participated.

Honorable Mentions

• Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament
• Perfect Game Elite 25 Championship
• Travelball Select National Championships
• International League Championship
• Pacific Coast League Championship
• Triple-A National Championship
• Double-A Texas League Championship
• Double-A Eastern League Championship

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