21/08/2023 2 Minute Read

XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 10 days to go: A look at the historic record of the 12 participants

The XXXI edition features three former U-18 World Champions, the United States (10 titles), Korea (5) and Chinese Taipei (3). The US have participated in all 30 editions.

The XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup will open in Taipei City on Thursday, 31 August. Among the 12 participants, only the hosts Chinese Taipei (three titles), the defending U-18 World Champions USA (10) and Korea (five) have won the tournament.

Cuba, the programme with the most wins (11), and Canada, a one-time U-18 World Champion and the country that hosted the event a record 13 times, failed to qualify.

Australia and Japan are the other two participants who made the podium in previous editions.

Eight of the 12 participants from the XXX edition are returning in 2023. Spain, Venezuela, Czechia and Puerto Rico didn't participate in 2022.

Group A

Mexico

U-18 BWC Appearances: 16
Highest Finish: 4th twice (1992 Monterrey MEX, 2006 Sancti Spiritus CUB)
2022 Finish: 6th
World Ranking: 3

Mexico hosted the WBSC Americas qualifying tournament in La Paz and earned their spot in the XXI U-18 Baseball World Cup together with the United States, Venezuela and Panama.

Korea

U-18 BWC Appearances: 21
Highest Finish: World Champion five times (1981 Newark USA, 1994 Brandon CAN, 2000 Edmonton CAN, 2006 Sancti Spiritus CUB, 2008 Edmonton CAN)
2022 Finish: 4th
World Ranking: 4

Chungam High School head coach Young-Bok Lee will manage Korea in the XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Chinese Taipei

U-18 BWC Appearances: 29
Highest Finish: World Champion three times (1983 Johnstone USA, 2010 Thunder Bay CAN, 2019 Gijang KOR)
2022 Finish: 2nd
World Ranking: 5

Chinese Taipei participated in all 30 previous editions except for the second in 1982. They came back the following year with their first U-18 World Title.

The hosts announced their 20-player roster on 18 August..

Australia

U-18 BWC Appearances: 28
Highest Finish: 2nd (2010 Thunder Bay CAN)
2022 Finish: 9th
World Ranking: 9

Australia only missed the 1983 and 1996 editions. They also earned four bronze medals, 1981, 1982, 1989 and 1995.

They beat New Zealand in the final of the WBSC Oceania qualifying tournament.

Australia announced their 20-man roster on 21 August.

Puerto Rico

U-18 BWC Appearances: 1
Highest Finish: 8th (2008 Edmonton CAN)
2022 Finish: Didn't Participate
World Ranking: 13

It's only the second Puerto Rico appearance in the U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Manager Eddie Gonzalez recently announced the 20-player roster.

Czechia

U-18 BWC Appearances: 7
Highest Finish: 10th (1999 Kaohsiung TPE)
2022 Finish: Didn't Participate
World Ranking: 15

Czechia, one of the fastest developing programmes in the world, earned a Wild Card to participate in the U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Group B

Japan

U-18 BWC Appearances: 9
Highest Finish: 2nd four times (1982 Knoxville USA, 2004 Taipei City TPE, 2013 Taichung TPE, 2015 Osaka JPN)
2022 Finish: 3rd
World Ranking: 1

Japan participated in the event's second edition in 1982 (Knoxville, USA), finishing second, but their second appearance had to wait until the 1999 edition.

USA

U-18 BWC Appearances: 30
Highest Finish: World Champion 10 times (1982 Knoxville USA, 1988 Sydney AUS, 1989 Trois Rivières CAN, 1995 Albany USA, 1999 Kaohsiung TPE, 2012 Seoul KOR, 2013 Taichung TPE, 2015 Osaka JPN, 2017 Thunder Bay CAN, 2022 Sarasota and Bradenton USA)
2022 Finish: World Champion
World Ranking: 2

The United States are the only programme participating in every U-18 Baseball World Cup edition. They failed to make the medal round only three times and also earned 12 silver medals and five bronze medals.

Former Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Michael Cuddyer will manage the defending World Champions.

Venezuela

U-18 BWC Appearances: 12
Highest Finish: 4th three times (1981 Newark USA, 1985 Albany USA, 1990 CUB)
2022 Finish: Didn't Participate
World Ranking: 6

Venezuela earned their right to participate through the WBSC Americas qualifying tournament in November 2022.