WBSC/KONAMI Women's Softball World Ranking: Puerto Rico climbs to record-high second place, USA still on top

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) revealed today the latest WBSC/KONAMI Women's Softball World Ranking. The only major change in the top-10 is Puerto Rico advancing to a record-high No. 2, taking a 96-point lead over Japan, now No. 3 in the world. USA's position at the top of the ranking remains unchanged with 4,301 points.

The movement in the WBSC Women's Softball World Ranking, which includes points from tournaments over the past four-years, is a consequence of the U-18 Pan American Championship and also the expiration of points from the 2020 Asia Pacific Cup, which was the only international women's softball competition held in the pandemic-affected season.

Puerto Rico added 100 points after winning its first-ever U-18 Women's Softball Pan American Championship, with a dramatic 2-1 extra-inning win over Canada in the final of the 11-team competition. Canada added 91 points from the tournament and remain in fifth place.

Colombia finished sixth place in the continental qualifier and advanced six places in the ranking from No. 39 to 33, becoming the most improved programme in the ranking. The South American nation has climbed 10 places since last November, when they dropped to 43rd place.

Venezuela gained 37 points from the Pan American Championship and passed China as No. 16. No. 30 Dominican Republic and No. 59 US Virgin Islands have moved up three spots.

The top six teams in the WBSC/KONAMI Women's Softball World Ranking at 31 December 2024 will earn a berth at The World Games. No. 7 Mexico is only 17 points behind No. 6 Italy, putting a spotlight on the last remaining spot at next year's The World Games. Mexico added 82 points as the U-18 Pan Am Championship bronze medallists.

Considering the WBSC/KONAMI World Rankings are based on a four-year time cycle and with no points left in the ranking from the Covid-affected 2020 season, the teams will only add points during 2024, intensifying the fight for one of the six spots at The World Games Chengdu 2025. 

The 2024 season is highlighted by the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup group stage and the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals, in Italy.