2025 U-18 Baseball World Cup
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Dates | September 5–14 |
| Teams | 12 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | United States (11th title) |
| Runners-up | Japan |
| Third place | Chinese Taipei |
| Fourth place | South Korea |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 50 |
| Best BA | Ashton Kennedy (.444) |
| Most HRs | Five tied (1) |
| Most SBs | Hyuma Okabe (7) |
| Best ERA | Edenis Cruz (0.00) |
| Most Ks (as pitcher) | Joel Kim & Shota Morishita (19) |
| Awards | |
| MVP | Coleman Borthwick |
The 2025 U-18 Baseball World Cup or the XXXII U-18 Baseball World Cup is an international baseball tournament held by the World Baseball Softball Confederation for players 18-year-old and younger. The 2025 edition was held in Naha and Itoman, Japan from September 5 to 14, 2025.[1][2]
Format
First round: The twelve participating nations were drawn into two groups of 6, in which single round robin will occur. The top 3 nations from each group advances to the Super Round, while the bottom 3 nations from each group advance to the consolation round.
Placement round: The 6 nations in this round play one game against the teams they have not played yet. (example: The 4th placed team from Group A will play the bottom three teams from Group B)
Super round: The format in the super round is similar to that of the consolation round. Each team plays the top three teams from the opposing group. (example: The 1st placed team from Group B will play the top three teams from Group A) The standings for this round will include the 2 games played against the 2 other second-round qualifiers from the team's first-round group, and the 3 games played in the second round, for a total of 5 games. The 3rd and 4th-place finishers advance to the bronze-medal game, and the 1st and 2nd-place finishers advance to the gold-medal game.
Finals: The Finals consist of the Bronze Medal Game, contested by the 3rd and 4th-place finishers, and the gold-medal game, contested by the 1st and 2nd-place finishers.
Teams
The following 12 teams qualified for the tournament.[3][4]
| Pool A | Pool B |
|---|---|
Japan |
Australia |
Cuba |
China |
Italy |
Germany |
South Korea |
Panama |
Puerto Rico |
Chinese Taipei1 |
South Africa |
United States |
1Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, due to complicated relations with People's Republic of China, is recognized by the name Chinese Taipei by most of the international organizations in sports competitions. For more information, please see Cross-Strait relations.
First round
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | PCT | GB | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan (H) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 1.000 | — | Advance to super round |
| 2 | South Korea | 5 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 6 | .800 | 1 | |
| 3 | Puerto Rico | 5 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 11 | .600 | 2 | |
| 4 | Cuba | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 7 | .400 | 3 | Advance to placement round |
| 5 | Italy | 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 30 | .200 | 4 | |
| 6 | South Africa | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 51 | .000 | 5 |
| Date | Local time | Road team | Score | Home team | Inn. | Venue | Game duration | Attendance | Boxscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2025 | 14:30 | Puerto Rico | 2–5 | South Korea | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:31 | 237 | Boxscore |
| Sep 5, 2025 | 14:30 | Cuba | 10–0 | South Africa | F/5 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:45 | 100 | Boxscore |
| Sep 5, 2025 | 18:30 | Italy | 1–4 | Japan | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:07 | 3,400 | Boxscore |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 10:30 | South Africa | 1–9 | Puerto Rico | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:25 | 93 | Boxscore |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 14:30 | Italy | 0–8 | Cuba | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:10 | 250 | Boxscore |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 18:30 | South Korea | 2–4 | Japan | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:11 | 5,067 | Boxscore |
| Sep 7, 2025 | 10:30 | Puerto Rico | 6–2 | Italy | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:35 | 473 | Boxscore |
| Sep 7, 2025 | 14:00 | Japan | 3–0 | Cuba | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:07 | 6,055 | Boxscore |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 10:30 | Cuba | 0–1 | Puerto Rico | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:01 | 184 | Boxscore |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 18:30 | South Africa | 0–10 | Japan | F/5 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 1:32 | 2,905 | Boxscore |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 18:30 | Italy | 0–8 | South Korea | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:54 | 227 | Boxscore |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 14:30 | Cuba | 0–3 | South Korea | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 1:48 | 378 | Boxscore |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 14:30 | South Africa | 4–5 | Italy | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:03 | 130 | Boxscore |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 18:30 | Japan | 3–0 | Puerto Rico | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:08 | 3,556 | Boxscore |
| Sep 10, 2025 | 10:00 | South Korea | 17–0 | South Africa | F/5 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 1:41 | 38 | Boxscore |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | PCT | GB | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 4 | 1.000 | — | Advance to super round |
| 2 | Chinese Taipei | 5 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 11 | .800 | 1 | |
| 3 | Panama | 5 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 20 | .400[a] | 3 | |
| 4 | Australia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 30 | .400[a] | 3 | Advance to placement round |
| 5 | Germany | 5 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 38 | .400[a] | 3 | |
| 6 | China | 5 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 53 | .000 | 5 |
Source: WBSC
Notes:
Notes:
| Date | Local time | Road team | Score | Home team | Inn. | Venue | Game duration | Attendance | Boxscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2025 | 10:30 | United States | 9–0 | Panama | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:30 | 76 | Boxscore |
| Sep 5, 2025 | 10:30 | Germany | 5–4 | Australia | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:23 | 100 | Boxscore |
| Sep 5, 2025 | 18:30 | China | 0–7 | Chinese Taipei | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:13 | 275 | Boxscore |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 10:30 | Australia | 4–1 | Panama | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:17 | 200 | Boxscore |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 14:30 | Germany | 9–3 | China | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:28 | 147 | Boxscore |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 18:30 | Chinese Taipei | 0–4 | United States | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:10 | 657 | Boxscore |
| Sep 7, 2025 | 10:30 | China | 3–15 | Australia | F/5 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:06 | 153 | Boxscore |
| Sep 7, 2025 | 14:30 | United States | 9–3 | Germany | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:19 | 388 | Boxscore |
| Sep 7, 2025 | 18:30 | Panama | 1–2 | Chinese Taipei | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:11 | 315 | Boxscore |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 10:30 | China | 0–10 | United States | F/5 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 1:34 | 200 | Boxscore |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 14:30 | Australia | 2–10 | Chinese Taipei | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:12 | 219 | Boxscore |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 14:30 | Germany | 0–14 | Panama | F/5 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:50 | 78 | Boxscore |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 10:30 | Australia | 1–11 | United States | F/6 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:04 | 236 | Boxscore |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 10:30 | Panama | 12–5 | China | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:33 | 54 | Boxscore |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 18:30 | Chinese Taipei | 8–4 | Germany | F/8 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:18 | 253 | Boxscore |
Super round
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | PCT | GB | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan (H) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 10 | 1.000 | — | Advance to final |
| 2 | United States | 5 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 6 | .800 | 1 | |
| 3 | South Korea | 5 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 8 | .600 | 2 | Advance to third-place game |
| 4 | Chinese Taipei | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 22 | .400 | 3 | |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 17 | .200 | 4 | |
| 6 | Panama | 5 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 29 | .000 | 5 |
| Date | Local time | Road team | Score | Home team | Inn. | Venue | Game duration | Attendance | Boxscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2025 | 10:30 | Puerto Rico | 3–1 | Panama | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:23 | 85 | Boxscore |
| Sep 11, 2025 | 18:30 | Chinese Taipei | 1–8 | South Korea | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:38 | 225 | Boxscore |
| Sep 11, 2025 | 18:30 | Japan | 6–2 | United States | F/8 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:40 | 5,286 | Boxscore |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 14:30 | Puerto Rico | 0–1 | Chinese Taipei | F/9 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:12 | 286 | Boxscore |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 18:30 | South Korea | 0–1 | United States | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:43 | 277 | Boxscore |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 18:30 | Panama | 5–6 | Japan | F/9 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:35 | 2,489 | Boxscore |
| Sep 13, 2025 | 14:30 | Puerto Rico | 0–7 | United States | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:00 | 547 | Boxscore |
| Sep 13, 2025 | 18:30 | Panama | 0–9 | South Korea | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:15 | 150 | Boxscore |
| Sep 13, 2025 | 18:30 | Chinese Taipei | 1–9 | Japan | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:02 | 4,531 | Boxscore |
Placement round
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuba | 5 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 4 | 1.000 | — |
| 2 | Australia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 45 | 15 | .600[a] | 2 |
| 3 | Italy | 5 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 29 | .600[a] | 2 |
| 4 | Germany | 5 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 21 | .400 | 3 |
| 5 | China | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 43 | .200[b] | 4 |
| 6 | South Africa | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 43 | .200[b] | 4 |
Source: WBSC
Notes:
Notes:
| Date | Local time | Road team | Score | Home team | Inn. | Venue | Game duration | Attendance | Boxscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2025 | 10:30 | China | 11–3 | South Africa | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:11 | 45 | Boxscore |
| Sep 11, 2025 | 14:30 | Germany | 2–4 | Italy | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:52 | 53 | Boxscore |
| Sep 11, 2025 | 14:30 | Australia | 1–2 | Cuba | F/9 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:31 | 196 | Boxscore |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 10:30 | China | 3–6 | Italy | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:18 | 39 | Boxscore |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 10:30 | Germany | 3–4 | Cuba | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:07 | 39 | Boxscore |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 14:30 | South Africa | 2–13 | Australia | F/5 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:38 | 55 | Boxscore |
| Sep 13, 2025 | 10:30 | South Africa | 6–4 | Germany | 7 | Nishizaki Stadium | 2:10 | 78 | Boxscore |
| Sep 13, 2025 | 10:30 | Italy | 3–12 | Australia | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:18 | 69 | Boxscore |
| Sep 13, 2025 | 14:30 | China | 0–10 | Cuba | F/6 | Nishizaki Stadium | 1:59 | 38 | Boxscore |
Finals
Third-place game
| Date | Local time | Road team | Score | Home team | Inn. | Venue | Game duration | Attendance | Boxscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2025 | 11:00 | Chinese Taipei | 3–2 | South Korea | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 2:25 | 1,516 | Boxscore |
Championship
| Date | Local time | Road team | Score | Home team | Inn. | Venue | Game duration | Attendance | Boxscore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2025 | 16:00 | United States | 2–0 | Japan | 7 | Okinawa Cellular Stadium | 1:47 | 16,693 | Boxscore |
Final standings
| Rk | Team | W | L | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8 | 1 | |||
| Lost in final | |||||
| Japan | 8 | 1 | |||
| Failed to qualify for the final | |||||
| Chinese Taipei | 6 | 3 | |||
| Lost in 3rd place game | |||||
| 4 | South Korea | 6 | 3 | ||
| Failed to qualify for the finals | |||||
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 4 | 4 | ||
| 6 | Panama | 2 | 6 | ||
| Failed to qualify for the super round | |||||
| 7 | Cuba | 5 | 3 | ||
| 8 | Australia | 4 | 4 | ||
| 9 | Italy | 3 | 5 | ||
| 10 | Germany | 2 | 6 | ||
| 11 | China | 1 | 7 | ||
| 12 | South Africa | 1 | 7 | ||
U-18 All-World Team
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| C | William Brick |
| 1B | Sheng-En Zeng |
| 2B | Ryota Okumura |
| 3B | Grady Emerson |
| SS | Aiden Ruiz |
| OF | Jiho Park |
| Luis Rivera | |
| Kai-Qi Li | |
| DH | Carlos Castillo |
| P | Giovanni Rojas |
Individual Awards
References
- ^ "Japan and China confirmed as hosts for WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cups 2025 & 2027". WBSC. World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). 3 October 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Japan to host WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Naha City from September 5 to 14". WBSC. World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "China complete list of WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 participants". WBSC. World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). 23 January 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Groups confirmed for WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 presented by RAXUS". WBSC. World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). 7 February 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.