World Rankings Update: Venezuela close gap on top four after World Baseball Classic win

PULLY, Switzerland - The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has released the latest update of the WBSC Men’s Baseball World Ranking, with the race amongst the top five positions intensifying following the recently concluded World Baseball Classic - the top-tier WBSC World Championship hosted by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Japan continue to lead the world rankings with 6,337 points (339 points down from 6676 as at 31.12.2025), followed by Chinese Taipei (5,302), USA (4,357) and Korea (4,239) however the newly crowned World Champions Venezuela complete the top five with 3,992 points (up 339 points from 3653) after their historic title win, narrowing the gap to Japan to 2,345 points (previously 3,023) as well as to fourth placed Korea to 247 points (previously 539).

The WBSC World Rankings serve as a key benchmark for international performance, measuring results over the past four years across major global and continental competitions including all age-groups from U-12 to U-23 and elite. As outlined in Article 4.1.17 of the WBSC Statutes, the system is designed to objectively evaluate and promote national team performance worldwide and at all levels.

The latest WBSC Men’s Baseball World Ranking update incorporates results from the 2026 World Baseball Classic, with points from this edition replacing those awarded in 2023. The tournament allocates points across all participating teams, with the champions earning a maximum of 1,000 points - plus a 100-point bonus - while ensuring a balanced distribution across final standings.

Venezuela’s title-winning campaign earned them 1,150 points, followed by USA (953), Dominican Republic (905), and Italy (858), reflecting the competitive depth showcased throughout the tournament.

• World Rankings | Guidelines
• World Rankings | Guidelines - Appendix A - Men's Baseball Ranking Methodology

Further down the rankings, Puerto Rico (3,298) climbs to sixth, overtaking Mexico (3,227), now seventh. Australia recorded the most notable rise within the top 10, jumping two places to ninth (2,425), ahead of the Netherlands (2,358). The Dominican Republic also gains ground, moving up to 11th (2,334), and swapping places with Cuba, who slips to 12th (2,291).

Movement continues across the top 20, underlining the growing competitiveness of international baseball with Nicaragua advancing to 15th place, while Czechia (1,255) ranks 16th. Germany (996) moves up to 17th, followed by China (894), Canada (886), and Great Britain (880), rounding out a tightly contested group.

In total, 85 men’s baseball programmes across the five Olympic continents are now featured in the WBSC World Rankings, highlighting the sport’s impressive global footprint.

The full rankings and its methodology can be viewed at rankings.wbsc.org.

World Baseball Classic 2026 – Final Standings
1. Venezuela - 1,150 pts.
2. USA - 953 pts.
3. Dominican Republic - 905 pts.
4. Italy - 858 pts.
5. Japan - 811 pts.
6. Canada - 763 pts.
7. Puerto Rico - 716 pts.
8. Korea - 668 pts.
9. Australia - 621 pts.
10. Cuba - 574 pts.
11. Mexico - 526 pts.
12. Israel - 479 pts.
13. Chinese Taipei - 432 pts.
14. Colombia - 384 pts.
15. Great Britain - 337 pts.
16. Netherlands - 289 pts.
17. Panama - 242 pts.
18. Nicaragua - 195 pts.
19. Czechia - 147 pts.
20. Brazil - 100 pts.