Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Mexico
Featured image credit: Leones de Yucatán
The World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced the launch of the Baseball Champions League (BCL), the sport’s first-ever professional and world-level competition for clubs.
Reigning champions of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (LMB), Leones de Yucatán, will host the inaugural event at its Parque Kukulcán Alamo in the city of Mérida from September 28 to October 1.
Sanctioned by the WBSC and LMB, the BCL will also feature the reigning champions of the American Association of Professional Baseball (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks), Cuban National Series (Alazanes de Granma) and Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano (Caimanes de Barranquilla), with a plan to add other regional elite events and world finals in the coming years.
The debut event will see seven games take place over four days in a round-robin format before the top two teams advance to the final.
The BCL adds to the WBSC’s portfolio of elite national team events, which includes World Cups from the 12-year-old age category upwards, the Olympic Games, Premier12 and the World Baseball Classic, plus its urban, five-on-five, mixed gender Baseball5 World Cup.
WBSC president, Riccardo Fraccari, said: “I am extremely proud to announce the launch of the Baseball Champions League, which will be the first-ever professional-and world-level competition for clubs, an international tournament of champions.
“This exciting new competition, which is planned to add other regional elite events and the world finals in the coming years, wouldn’t be possible without the shared vision and support from the various leagues, stakeholders and respective baseball leaders.
“I know the Baseball Champions League will excite baseball fans around the world and I’m sure they are going to enjoy it just as much as we will.”
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