DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball has reclaimed the top spot in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball World Rankings as announced today by the WBSC. Following a 2017 season in which Team USA swept its international competitions at the 12U, 15U, 18U, Collegiate and Professional levels, the U.S. is ranked number one for the first time since 2014.
"To be recognized by the WBSC as the preeminent baseball program in the world is a testament to all of the hard work that our athletes, coaches and USA Baseball staff have put in to our national team programs," said Paul Seiler, Executive Director and CEO of USA Baseball. "Our organization has celebrated unprecedented success in the past few years and we will continue to build on those achievements as we reach toward new heights."
The WBSC Baseball World Rankings weigh a country's National Team performance - from U-12 to Professional - in WBSC-sanctioned international competitions over a four-year period.
USA Baseball had its most successful year in 2017, setting a record for most annual Baseball World Ranking points amassed with 2,127. The U.S. swept through its international competition with gold medals at the World Baseball Classic, WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, COPABE Pan Am U-15 Championships and the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup; in addition to the Collegiate National Team winning all three of its international friendship series against Chinese Taipei, Cuba and Japan. It is the first time in international baseball history a federation has won all of its international competitions in a calendar year.
Since 2015, USA Baseball has won five world championships, including being the reigning World Baseball Classic Champion, as well as the reigning world champions at the 12U and 18U age levels. In total, the U.S. has medaled in all 11 international tournaments it has participated in since 2015, winning seven gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze.
Additionally, the Collegiate National Team has won six of eight international friendship series against Chinese Taipei (2-0-1), Cuba (3-0) and Japan (1-1) in that time frame, including winning the 5th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series in Cuba - the first-ever series victory on Cuban soil in USA Baseball history.
The USA Baseball Women's National Team - currently ranked number three in the WBSC Women's Baseball World Rankings - has also won two gold medals since 2015, highlighted by an 11-3 victory over Canada in the finals of the 2015 Pan American Games.
To see the full WBSC Baseball World Rankings, visit www.WBSC.org.
World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball World Rankings (1-12):
1. USA
2. Japan
3. Korea
4. Cuba
5. Mexico
6. Chinese Taipei
7. Canada
8. Australia
9. Netherlands
10. Puerto Rico
11. Venezuela
12. Dominican Republic