The third edition of the WBSC Premier12 will take place in November 2024 in Japan, the United States and Taiwan.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced today (Nov. 12) that the third edition of the WBSC Premier12, the most important international baseball tournament of 2024, will take place from Nov. 10 to 24 next year.
According to the WBSC, the two six-team groups will be played in Taipei, Taiwan, and the United States (location TBD), with Japan earning the right to host the opening round of group play, super rounds, and the final.
The competition will be played in a round robin format with 12 teams divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Round (quarterfinals). The first and second place teams from the Super Round will play in the Premier12 Championship match (Final), while the third and fourth place teams will compete for the bronze medal.
Taipei and the United States have earned the right to host the group stage. Group A matches will take place from November 10-14, 2024, with the host country, city, and venue to be announced at a later date.
Group B will take place in Taipei from November 14-18, 2024, with the opening match confirmed for November 13 at the Nagoya Dome in Japan.
The quarterfinal Super Round will be played in a round robin format starting on November 21, with the championship and bronze medal games taking place three days later on November 24.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “It will be very exciting for baseball fans around the world to see the dates and venues for the next edition of the Premier 12, our flagship event, revealed. “We have had two very successful editions in 2015 and 2019. We are looking forward to the third edition next year.”
“It is a great honor and pleasure to host the WBSC Premier12 in Japan for the third time in a row,” said Sadayuki Sakakibara, President of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). “I believe that NPB can contribute to the development of baseball around the world by fully showcasing its appeal. We are aiming to return to the Olympic Games.”
Jeffrey Gu, President of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA), said: “We welcome all the participating teams. We are honored to host this long-awaited event.” “We will do our best to prepare for this great baseball event that the world is looking forward to,” said Jeffrey Gu. The CTBA will work with the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) to assemble the strongest team to compete against the best teams in the world.”안전놀이터
The Premier 12 will feature teams ranked 1-12 in the WBSC World Rankings at the end of 2023. Current World No. 1 Japan is the defending Premier 12 champion. Previously, South Korea (ranked No. 5) finished as runners-up to Japan in the second edition of the tournament in 2019, losing 3-5 at the Tokyo Dome, and won the inaugural title in 2015 after defeating the United States.
The WBSC Premier12 is gradually becoming the WBSC’s successor to the World Baseball Classic (WBC), with the second edition of the tournament in 2019 attracting over 300,000 fans across 32 games.
However, it is disappointing to note that Korea was once again excluded from hosting the Premier 12 tournament after the WBC. As the WBSC’s internal baseball order centered on the United States, Japan, and Taiwan is gradually consolidating, Korea is gradually being pushed to the margins of world baseball.