| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2026 to 2027 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 44 |
The 2027 WBSC Premier12 will be the fourth edition of the WBSC Premier12, a baseball championship featuring the 16 top national teams in the world, organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). This tournament will be the first to include 16 teams, expanded from 12 in previous three editions. [1]
Chinese Taipei is the defending champion. They won their first Premier12 championship, defeating final round hosts and defending champions Japan, 4–0, in the 2024 championship game. [2] The United States took third place after a 6–1 win over Venezuela. [3] WBSC president Ricardo Ferrarri congratulated the champions and confirmed that the qualifiers for the 2027 tournament would begin in 2026. [4]
The 12 highest-ranked national teams qualified to participate in the group stage, based on the WBSC World Rankings, as of 31 December 2025. [5] The teams ranked 13–18 and two wild cards will play the qualifiers to determine the other four participants in the group stage. The WBSC originally wanted to expand 2023 edition but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed expansion until 2027. [6]
Africa (0)
Asia (0)
| Americas (0)
Europe (0)
Oceania (0)
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Participating nations had to submit their final 28-man rosters no later than October 2027. WBSC rules require teams to carry at least 13 pitchers and two catchers in their squads. [8]
The format will undergo several significant changes in format compared to 2024. The expansion to 16 teams and new format was announced on 24 October 2024. [1]
The tournament begins with four groups of four teams each playing in the 16-team opening round. Each team plays three games, in a round-robin format against each other in the group. The top two teams from each group advanced to the second round.
The tournament begins with two groups of four teams each playing in the eight-team second round. Each team plays three games, in a round robin format against each other in the group. The top two teams from each group advanced to the Super Round.
The four remaining teams who advanced to the super round, will travel to host of the finals where they will play against the top two teams that advanced from the other group.
After completion, the teams who finish first and second will play the gold medal match, while the teams placed third and fourth will play for bronze.
Stadiums from unknown countries would host the event.
The groups will be announced in April 2027.
