The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) recently revealed the updated rankings of the baseball and softball national teams based on the results of all international games played in the last four years from the youth level all the way up to the senior elite squads. While Team Italy softball held its WBSC ranking of 8th place with 1773 points, Team Italy baseball catapulted four positions from 16th to 12th place in the WBSC rankings with 2017 points after reaching the 2023 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals.
The 12th place WBSC baseball ranking is significant for Team Italy because the top 12 baseball nations qualify for the WBSC Premier 12. Should the Azzurri remain in 12th place at the end of all this year’s international competition, the Italians would be guaranteed a spot in the third edition of the WBSC Premier 12.
With Team Italy baseball holding on to a slight 47-point lead over 13th place Canada, the Azzurri must do well in the upcoming Seniors European Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic from September 24-October 1, 2023. Euro rivals Kingdom of the Netherlands (8th place), Czech Republic (16th place), Israel (18th place ) and Germany (19th place) are the main threats of keeping the Italians out of the upcoming Premier 12 competition. Olympic champions and 2023 World Baseball Classic winner Japan is top ranked with 5323 points, while second-ranked USA (4402 points) and third-ranked Mexico (4130 points) loom in the distance.
WBSC BASEBALL RANKING
In the WBSC softball rankings, Team Italy maintains its 8th place ranking with 1773 points and trails seventh-ranked Czech Republic (1789 points) by just sixteen points. The only recent change in the WBSC top 10 is Puerto Rico (2394 points) overtaking Canada (2342 points) for fourth place. USA is ranked first with 4368 points, while second-ranked Japan (2897 points) and third-ranked Chinese Taipei (2657 points) try to make up ground.
WBSC SOFTBALL RANKING
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
(Photo of Team Italy manager Mike Piazza before the 2023 WBC quarterfinal against Japan by WBC/MLB)
