USA Secures Automatic Spots for Baseball and Softball at 2028 LA Olympics

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The United States has automatically qualified for the baseball and softball tournaments at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Additionally, the top two teams from the Americas region in next month's World Baseball Classic will also earn spots in the 2028 Olympic competitions.

Why it matters

This ensures the participation of the United States, a powerhouse in both baseball and softball, at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. It also provides a clear qualification path for other top teams from the Americas to join the U.S. in the Olympic tournaments.

The details

According to the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the U.S. will have an automatic berth in both the baseball and softball events at the 2028 LA Olympics. The top two finishers from the Americas region in next month's World Baseball Classic, which features teams like Brazil, Cuba, and Venezuela, will also qualify directly for the 2028 Olympic tournaments. One team each from Asia and Europe/Oceania can also earn spots through the WBSC Premier 12 tournament in November. A final qualifying event in early 2028 will determine the remaining spots.

• The 2023 World Baseball Classic will take place in July.
• The WBSC Premier 12 tournament is scheduled for November 2023.
• The final Olympic qualifying tournament will be held no later than March 2028.

What’s next

The details of the World Baseball Classic and WBSC Premier 12 tournament qualification processes will be closely watched to see which teams from the Americas, Asia, and Europe/Oceania regions earn the remaining Olympic spots.