Baseball Champions League Americas Explained

BCL Americas
Pixels:220px
Organizer:WBSC Americas
Region:North America and the Caribbean
Sport:Baseball
Founded:2023
Champion: Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
(1st title)
Related Comps:Caribbean Series

The Baseball Champions League Americas, or BCL Americas, is an annual international baseball tournament organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). It is contested by the champion teams of various leagues in North America and the Caribbean, similar to the Caribbean Series (which is not WBSC-sanctioned).

It is played as a single round-robin tournament, with the first and second-place teams playing against each other in a final championship game.[1] The tournament began as a four-team invitational, but is expected to expand to an eight-team league format by 2028.[2]

The inaugural tournament was held in 2023 in Mérida, Mexico.[3] It was won by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association.[4]

Participants

While the Caribbean Series is generally limited to Latin American winter league teams, BCL Americas includes the champions of the top-level independent (i.e. not affiliated with Major League Baseball) summer leagues in Mexico and the United States.

CountryLeagueFirst edition
Cuban National Series2023
Colombian Professional Baseball League2023
Mexican League2023
American Association of Professional Baseball2023

Cuba and Colombia had previously participated in the Caribbean Series, but both were dropped after the 2023 edition of the tournament.[5] [6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023 Baseball Champions League Info. American Association of Professional Baseball. 25 September 2023. 24 December 2023.
  2. News: Inaugural Baseball Champions League Americas Tournament To Kick Off In September . Baseball America . August 24, 2023.
  3. Web site: Clair . Michael . Baseball Champions League beginning in Mexico . milb.com . 29 September 2023.
  4. News: Peterson . Eric . F-M RedHawks earn 'redeem team' championship at 1st Baseball Champions League event . 29 February 2024 . In Forum . October 2, 2023.
  5. News: ¡Nuevo torneo! Anuncian la creación de la Baseball Champions League . Mediotiempo . June 10, 2023 . es.
  6. Web site: ¿Por qué Colombia se quedó fuera de Serie Caribe 2024? . Enrique Rojas . ESPN Deportes . July 24, 2023 . es.