Cuba at its lowest point in history following the announcement of the new WBSC/KONAMI world ranking

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has published the newest update to the WBSC/KONAMI Men’s Baseball World Rankings. This update follows the end of the WBSC Premier12 2024 global tournament, sponsored by RAXUS, which wrapped up last weekend in Tokyo with an impressive finale, as Chinese Taipei defeated Japan 4-0 in the final match.

Chinese Taipei, ranked World No. 2, solidified its exclusive hold on the second spot, previously shared with Mexico at 4,118 points, and narrowed the distance to No. 1 Japan. Meanwhile, Venezuela reached No. 3 and Panama climbed to No. 8, marking their highest historical rankings.

A total of 84 countries are listed in the latest WBSC/KONAMI Men’s Baseball World Rankings, just shy of the record 85 countries in 2021. This includes newcomers No. 57 Saint Maarten and No. 80 Cambodia, as well as the return of No. 70 Indonesia and No. 77 Malaysia, who rejoin the rankings after a decade. In the East Asia Cup, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia secured fifth, sixth, and seventh places respectively, while Saint Maarten achieved fourth place in the VI Caribbean Baseball Cup 2024.

Announcing a new format and an expanded roster of 16 teams for the IV WBSC Premier12, including two qualifiers in 2026 and participation from the world's top 20 teams, this ranking release signifies the beginning of the journey towards the upcoming Global Baseball Battle.

The top 12 teams in the WBSC/Konami Men's Baseball World Rankings at the conclusion of 2025 will earn direct qualification for the 2027 Group Stage. Meanwhile, teams ranked 13th to 18th, along with two Wild Cards, will compete in the Premier12 Qualifiers to decide the remaining four participants in the Group Stage.

Cuba, following a lackluster performance in Group B of the 2024 tournament, where it ended up at the bottom of the group with a 1-4 record, also secured 11th place overall in the tournament, marking its worst historical position, and as a result, fell two spots in the world rankings.

The drop marks the worst position (10th) for the island's roster since the incorporation of the rankings system into the WBSC calendar on December 31, 2012, when Cuba made its debut in first place. The new ranking position equals Cuba's own 10th place on August 11, 2021.

The race to end 2025 within the top 12 will become more competitive as automatic qualification for the Premier12 is in progress. The Dominican Republic, ranked 11th, and Australia, ranked 12th, have re-entered the top 12, climbing one and three positions, respectively. Colombia, in 13th place, is only 35 points shy of securing an automatic spot, whereas Italy, in 14th place, trails Australia by 262 points, and the Czech Republic is 446 points behind the 12th position.

With five teams divided by only 78 points, the competition for 20th place will be intense over the coming year, deciding which teams will move on to the two qualifiers in 2026. At present, China holds the 20th spot with 900 points, closely trailed by France at 21st with 888 points, Canada at 22nd with 856 points, Brazil at 23rd with 830 points, and Spain at 24th with 822 points.

In 2025, two WBSC tournaments, the U12 and U18 World Cups, are planned. Additionally, events like the Caribbean Cup and the newly announced Copa America, featuring the top 12 teams from the Americas, will also influence the world rankings.