Global growth of the game takes centre stage at Baseball Pro Leagues Summit in Los Angeles

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) hosted the second Baseball Pro Leagues Summit at the headquarters of the LA28 Olympic Games Organising Committee in Los Angeles, USA, bringing together representatives from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO) League, Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Following the historic inaugural edition held at the WBSC headquarters in Pully, Switzerland in 2024, the Summit once again provided an important platform for enhanced collaboration between the WBSC and the world’s leading professional baseball leagues.

This year’s Summit carried added significance, taking place in Los Angeles with just over two years to go until the Olympic Games LA28, where Baseball and Softball will make their highly anticipated return to the Olympic programme.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari opened the Summit by underlining the importance of unity and shared ambition across the global baseball community.

“Los Angeles is the perfect setting for this Summit and our many thanks to the LA28 Organising Committee for hosting us here. With baseball preparing to return to the Olympic programme at LA28, and with strong early ticket sales already showing the appetite for Olympic baseball and softball, this is a decisive moment for our global community.

“The professional leagues play a fundamental role in the strength, visibility and future of baseball," President Fraccari added. "By bringing us all together, we are aligning our visions for the sport. Through dialogue, planning and shared ambition, we can continue to build a truly global baseball community and create new opportunities for athletes, fans and communities in every region.”

Discussions focused on the continued growth of international baseball, including the global calendar, development opportunities, international promotion and coordination across major events.

The Summit also highlighted the build-up to the LA28 Olympic Games and the ongoing Olympic qualification pathway. The road to the Olympic baseball tournament began at the World Baseball Classic in March, where the Dominican Republic and Venezuela became the first baseball teams to qualify for LA28, joining hosts USA.

The agenda also included an update on the WBSC's campaign to have Baseball/Softball included on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games sports programme with ongoing positive discussions continuing to take place between the WBSC and the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee as well as with the Australian National Federations - Baseball Australia and Softball Australia.

The meeting again coincided with the week leading up to the World Baseball Softball Day, celebrated annually on 10 May. The day was first commemorated in 2024 to mark the 10th anniversary of the WBSC and continues to serve as a worldwide celebration of Baseball/Softball under one unified banner.

The second edition in Los Angeles further reinforced the Summit’s role as a key forum for cooperation between the WBSC and the professional leagues, with baseball continuing to build global momentum on the road to LA28.