The WBSC Premier12 is back for its third edition featuring the top 12 teams on the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)’s end-of-2023 world rankings.
The teams are split into two groups of six and will play a total of 38 games from 9–24 November in the host federations of Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Mexico.
While no player on a Major League Baseball (MLB) 40-man roster will be taking part in the competition, the first two editions of WBSC Premier12 have set the stage for future MLB stars, including Shohei Ohtani, who competed in 2015, and Suzuki Seiya and Brent Rooker in 2019.
Japan are the defending champions, while Korea won the inaugural title in 2015. The WBSC Premier12, is the WBSC’s flagship international competition, second to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in terms of active international tournaments.
This will be the final year with just 12 teams in the WBSC Premier12. The format will expand to an eight-team qualification stage and 16-team finals in 2027.
2024 WBSC Premier12: Top players
While active Major League Baseball players are not allowed to be selected by the competing teams, the 2024 WBSC Premier12 will not have dearth of MLB experience across the various rosters.
Rising stars from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Korea’s KBO League, and the United States’ AAA and AA minor leagues, too, will feature in the competition.
Japan boast of a strong squad including Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and 2023 World Baseball Classic champion Genda Sosuke, his fellow Olympic gold medallist Kurihara Ryoya, and fellow WBC winners Ota Taisei, Ito Hiromi, Takahashi Hiroto, Togo Shosei, Maki Shugo, and Okamoto Kazuma.
Meanwhile, some teams including Korea, Dominican Republic, and Cuba will only announce their final squad closer to the start of WBSC Premier12 tournament.
And this year’s 2024 MLB Draft first overall pick, Travis Bazzana, will feature for Australia roster.
2024 WBSC Premier12: Schedule
| Date | Time (UTC) | Time (local) | Round | Road team | Home team | Stadium |
| Sat 9 Nov | 19:00 | 13:00 | Group A | Panama | Netherlands | Estadio Panamericano, Guadalajara |
| Sat 9 Nov | 23:00 | 16:00 | Group A | Puerto Rico | USA | Coloso del Pacifico, Tepic |
| Sun 10 Nov | 02:00 | 20:00 (Sat 9) | Group A | Venezuela | Mexico | Estadio Panamericano |
| Sun 10 Nov | 19:00 | 13:00 | Group A | Venezuela | Panama | Estadio Panamericano |
| Sun 10 Nov | 23:00 | 16:00 | Group A | Netherlands | USA | Coloso del Pacifico |
| Mon 11 Nov | 02:00 | 20:00 (Sun 10) | Group A | Mexico | Puerto Rico | Estadio Panamericano |
| Tue 12 Nov | 02:00 | 19:00 (Mon 11) | Group A | USA | Venezuela | Coloso del Pacifico |
| Tue 12 Nov | 02:00 | 20:00 (Mon 11) | Group A | Panama | Mexico | Estadio Panamericano |
| Wed 13 Nov | 02:00 | 19:00 (Tue 12) | Group A | Panama | USA | Coloso del Pacifico |
| Wed 13 Nov | 02:00 | 20:00 (Tue 12) | Group A | Netherlands | Puerto Rico | Estadio Panamericano |
| Wed 13 Nov | 10:00 | 19:00 | Group B | Australia | Japan | Vantelin Dome, Nagoya |
| Wed 13 Nov | 10:30 | 18:30 | Group B | Dominican Rep. | Cuba | Tianmu Stadium, Taipei City |
| Wed 13 Nov | 10:30 | 18:30 | Group B | Rep. Korea | Chinese Taipei | Taipei Dome, Taipei City |
| Wed 13 Nov | 19:00 | 13:00 | Group A | Puerto Rico | Venezuela | Estadio Panamericano |
| Thu 14 Nov | 02:00 | 20:00 (Wed 13) | Group A | Mexico | Netherlands | Estadio Panamericano |
| Thu 14 Nov | 10:00 | 18:00 | Group B | Cuba | Rep. Korea | Tianmu Stadium |
| Thu 14 Nov | 10:30 | 18:30 | Group B | Chinese Taipei | Dominican Rep. | Taipei Dome |
| Thu 14 Nov | 19:00 | 13:00 | Group A | Netherlands | Venezuela | Estadio Panamericano |
| Fri 15 Nov | 02:00 | 19:00 (Thu 14) | Group A | Puerto Rico | Panama | Coloso del Pacifico |
| Fri 15 Nov | 02:00 | 20:00 (Thu 14) | Group A | USA | Mexico | Estadio Panamericano |
| Fri 15 Nov | 07:00 | 15:00 | Group B | Dominican Rep. | Australia | Tianmu Stadium |
| Fri 15 Nov | 10:00 | 18:00 | Group B | Rep. Korea | Japan | Taipei Dome |
| Sat 16 Nov | 04:00 | 12:00 | Group B | Australia | Cuba | Tianmu Stadium |
| Sat 16 Nov | 10:00 | 18:00 | Group B | Japan | Chinese Taipei | Taipei Dome |
| Sat 16 Nov | 10:30 | 18:30 | Group B | Dominican Rep. | Rep. Korea | Tianmu Stadium |
| Sun 17 Nov | 10:00 | 18:00 | Group B | Cuba | Japan | Tianmu Stadium |
| Sun 17 Nov | 10:30 | 18:30 | Group B | Chinese Taipei | Australia | Taipei Dome |
| Mon 18 Nov | 04:00 | 12:00 | Group B | Australia | Rep. Korea | Tianmu Stadium |
| Mon 18 Nov | 10:00 | 18:00 | Group B | Japan | Dominican Rep. | Tianmu Stadium |
| Mon 18 Nov | 10:30 | 18:30 | Group B | Cuba | Chinese Taipei | Taipei Dome |
| Thu 21 Nov | 03:00 | 12:00 | Super Round | A1 | B2 | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo |
| Thu 21 Nov | 10:00 | 19:00 | Super Round | B1 | A2 | Tokyo Dome |
| Fri 22 Nov | 03:00 | 12:00 | Super Round | B2 | A2 | Tokyo Dome |
| Fri 22 Nov | 10:00 | 19:00 | Super Round | B1 | A1 | Tokyo Dome |
| Sat 23 Nov | 03:00 | 12:00 | Super Round | A1 | A2 | Tokyo Dome |
| Sat 23 Nov | 10:00 | 19:00 | Super Round | B1 | B2 | Tokyo Dome |
| Sun 24 Nov | 03:00 | 12:00 | Bronze final | Super Round 4th place | Super Round 3rd place | Tokyo Dome |
| Sun 24 Nov | 10:00 | 19:00 | Championship final | Super Round 2nd place | Super Round 1st place | To |
Also Read: What are the different fielding positions in Baseball?
2024 WBSC Premier12: How to watch live
Premier12 games will be broadcast exclusively on the DAZN platform in the United States.
In other countries, games will be available to watch on DAZN in selected global markets. Games can also be streamed online on the GameTime.sport platform with a subscription to the Premier12 bundle.
