LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Heading into 2020, 10 new countries, led by seven from Africa, have entered the latest WBSC Men’s Baseball World Rankings, while in softball, the Japanese Men’s National Team has taken over the top spot for the first time in history.
The newcomers to the WBSC Men’s Baseball World Rankings
include African nations Burkina Faso (57th), Ghana (T-73rd), Kenya (62nd),
Nigeria (70th), Tanzania (T-73rd), Uganda (49th) and Zimbabwe (53rd). Oceania
added two new representatives with Fiji (72nd) Palau (82nd), while Asian nation
Bangladesh (79th) also made its debut in the world rankings.
“Having 10 new countries, including seven from Africa, included in the WBSC Men’s Baseball World Rankings illustrates the unprecedented level of international baseball activity which has taken place around the world in 2019, especially across the African continent, as nations prepared for and attempted to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” said WBSC President and Baseball Division Board Chairman Riccardo Fraccari.
Global
Top 10 in Men’s Softball
In
the latest WBSC Men’s Softball World Rankings, South Africa (10th) hit a
historical high, entering the top 10 for the first time in history, while also spreading
the Top 10 rankings across five continents for the first time.
“Having the five continents represented in the top 10 of the
world rankings, and also the top three nations spread over three different
continents, offers further proof of men’s softball competitiveness,
globalization and expansion around the world,” said WBSC Softball Chairman
Tommy Velazquez.
While Japan claimed the top spot in the rankings, Argentina earned the most points (1,620) in 2019, after winning the Men’s Softball World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic, and Pan-American gold in Lima, Peru.
Global evolution of Women's Baseball
The latest WBSC Women’s Baseball World Rankings have expanded to an all-time high of 20 nations and territories, following the incorporation of new and expanded women’s baseball competitions, such as the Asian, European and Pan-American championships.
Following
the establishment of their national women’s baseball programmes, Mexico (14th),
Philippines (15th), China (16th), France (18th), Nicaragua (19th) and Czech
Republic (20th) are all making their historic debuts in the WBSC Women’s
Baseball World Rankings.
Advancing through their respective continental championships, China, France, Mexico and the Philippines will also be making their first-ever appearances in the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup 2020 this September in Mexico.
Women’s Softball Rankings expand to record 69 nations
The WBSC Women’s Softball World Rankings welcomed two new countries -- Belize and Chile -- heading into the 2020 international calendar.
World No. 1 USA, No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Canada, No.4 Puerto Rico,
No. 5 Mexico and No. 6 Chinese Taipei all retained their previous ranking
positions.
Canadian Women softballers earned the most points in 2019, racking
up 1,478 points.
The Netherlands overtook Italy to become the top European nation
in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Rankings in ninth place.
Belgium was the top mover, jumping 10 spots to No. 37 in the
world.
The full WBSC World Rankings and formula for baseball and softball can be found at https://rankings.wbsc.org/.
