TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced on Tuesday (Feb. 10) the qualification process for baseball and softball at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Taiwan's baseball team can secure one of the six available spots through either the 2027 WBSC Premier12 tournament or the final qualifying tournament in March 2028.
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March offers two spots for American teams, excluding the host U.S. team, which has an automatic berth. The highest-ranking American teams that have not yet qualified will advance to the Los Angeles Olympics. The expanded Premier12 tournament will feature 16 teams in Nov. 2027, with the highest-ranked Asian and Europe/Oceania teams securing Olympic berths.
The final qualifying tournament, scheduled before March 2028, will see six teams compete for the last Olympic spot. These teams will include top-ranked squads from the latest Asian, European, African, and Oceania championships that have not yet qualified. Taiwan must outperform Japan and South Korea in the Premier12 tournament or secure a spot in the Asian Championship to participate in the final qualifier.
For women's softball, the host U.S. team will automatically receive a spot, while the highest-ranked team in the April 2027 Women's Softball World Cup that has not yet qualified will also earn a berth. Three intercontinental qualifiers in 2027 will provide one Olympic spot each for Asia/Oceania, Europe/Africa, and the Americas. The final qualifier, held before March 2028, will grant the last spot to the champion among runners-up and third-place teams from the previous qualifiers.