Today, baseball is a popular sport around the world with numerous countries practicing it at amateur and professional levels.
The Baseball World Cup (BWC) was an international baseball tournament for national teams around the world, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). First held in 1938 as the Amateur World Series (AWS), it was, for most of its history, the highest level of international baseball competition in the world. Even after it was supplanted in this regard in 2006 by the modern World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Baseball World Cup was still considered by the IBAF to be a major world championship, along with the WBC and the Summer Olympic Games.
The Japan national baseball team, also known as Samurai Japan (侍ジャパン), is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, and 2023 as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and is a baseball powerhouse.
The South Korean national baseball team, also known as the Blue Wave, is the national baseball team of South Korea. It has participated in every edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), reaching the finals in 2009, and won the WBSC Premier12 in 2015. South Korea also hosted and won the Baseball World Cup in 1982, and has participated in several Summer Olympic Games.
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. It is ranked as the top team in Oceania, and is the Oceanian Champion, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. After achieving a last (16th) place in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, its rank dropped to 13, which is the lowest rank Australia ever received. The highest rank it has achieved is 6th, and its current rank is 10th.
The United States national baseball team, also known as Team USA represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 2nd in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The United States has won many international tournaments, many of which are now discontinued. Most notably the team won the Olympic baseball tournament in 2000, and the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2017.
The Canada national baseball team represents Canada in international baseball. They are overseen by Baseball Canada, the governing body of baseball in Canada.
The Puerto Rico national baseball team, also known as Team Rubio is the national baseball team of Puerto Rico. The men's senior team is currently ranked 13th in the world. Puerto Rico is the incumbent Pan American and Central American/Caribbean champion, as well as the 2017 World Baseball Classic runner-up. The team will compete against Israel, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Nicaragua in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in March 2023 in Miami, Florida.
The Cuba national baseball team represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is made up from the most professional players from the Cuban national baseball system. Cuba has been described as a baseball powerhouse and currently ranks 8th in WBSC's world rankings. It has medalled in five of the six Olympics in which baseball was played. The team tried but failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics at the eight-team Americas Qualifying Event on May 31 through June 5, 2021.
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, representing the country in international men's baseball. They are currently ranked as the best team in the WBSC Europe, and the team is also ranked seventh in the WBSC World Rankings.
The Italy national baseball team represents Italy in international baseball competitions. The Italian national team was ranked 16th in the world as of 2022. The team is managed by Mike Piazza, a former New York Mets player and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
Pedro Luis Lazo Iglesias is a top pitcher in Cuban baseball. He is used predominantly as a reliever in international competition, although he is a starter in the Cuban National Series, where he plays for Pinar del Río. His fastball has been clocked at 97 mph, and he combined it with a mid 80s slider.
Avispas de Santiago de Cuba is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series based in Estadio Guillermón Moncada in Santiago de Cuba. The Avispas (Wasps) are historically one of the most successful teams in the National Series, the main domestic competition in post-revolutionary Cuban baseball. The team is similar to the Boston Red Sox in MLB in the sense that they have fans all over the country, and are the eternal rivals of Industriales, the New York Yankees of Cuban baseball. The traditional rivalry on the baseball diamond also represents the rivalry between the two cities dating back to the era when Cuba was a colony of Spain two centuries ago. The Super Classic of the Cuban National Series between EB Santiago de Cuba and Industriales takes place six times per season.
Toros de Camagüey is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series based in Camagüey. Formed after the Cuban state redefined its provinces in 1977, the Toros advanced the next season to the league championship series, but fell to Henequeneros. They last won group C in 1997-1998.
Jonder Martínez Martínez is a right-handed pitcher for Matanzas of the Cuban National Series and the Cuban national baseball team.
Frederich Cepeda Cruz is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for who is currently a free agent. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Yomiuri Giants.
Eduardo Paret Pérez is a Cuban baseball player. He is a shortstop for Villa Clara of the Cuban National Series, and for the Cuban national baseball team.
The Chinese Taipei baseball team is the national men's baseball team of the Republic of China (Taiwan). It is governed by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association. The team is ranked fourth in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The team is usually made up of professionals from Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League, Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, and Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball from the United States.
Yasser Richard Gómez Soto is a Cuban baseball player. Gómez competed for Cuba in international competition, winning an Olympic silver medal. Gómez defected from Cuba, and signed with the Atlanta Braves organization. He most recently played with the Joplin Blasters of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Vladimir García Escalante is a Cuban baseball pitcher for Ciego de Ávila of the Cuban National Series. He has also played for the Cuba national baseball team. His fastball has peaked at 94 miles per hour (151 km/h).
