Celebrating WBSC Premier12 2024 two months to go - Looking back at two magnificent Premier12 finals

With two months to go to the third edition of the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS, bringing together the world’s best baseball teams to play in Japan, Taiwan and Mexico from 9-24 November 2024, today we celebrate the occasion by taking a look back at the two previous finals of the WBSC's flagship tournament.

A magnificent debut edition

The inaugural Premier12 opened on 8 November 2015 at Sapporo Dome where hosts Japan dominated Korea 5-0 with talisman pitcher Shohei Ohtani leading the charge.

However it was Korea who eventually conquered all, including a revenge win against Ohtani and Japan in the semifinals to finish first among the Top 12 nations competing in the Premier12 after shutting out USA 8-0 in the final 13 days later on 21 November.

Korea and USA both finished group play of the inaugural WBSC Premier12 in 2015 with three wins and two losses. In their opening round match-up, USA defeated Korea, 3-2, in 10 innings. Both teams fell to Japan in the opening round, but recovered to reach the final.

USA advanced to the final with seemingly comfortable wins: 6-1 over the Netherlands in the quarterfinal and 6-1 over Mexico in the semifinal.

Korea defeated Cuba, 7-2, in the quarterfinals and came from behind to shock Japan, 4-3, at a sold-out Tokyo Dome, coming from behind to claim a four-run ninth inning victory in the semifinal.

Korea and the USA took the field at the Tokyo Dome on 21 November, 2015. Home plate umpire Chi Hua-Wen called playball and Zack Segovia delivered the first pitch for the USA. In the bottom half of the innings, Korea handed the ball to Kim Kwang-hyun.

Kim pitched five shutout innings while allowing only four hits to help Korea avenge an Opening Round extra-inning loss to USA.

Korea took the lead from the top of the first inning, as leadoff hitter Keunwoo Jeong singled to centre and stole second, while Yongkyu Lee followed with an RBI double to give Korea the only run the nation would need.

Korea erupted for five runs in the 4th inning off a Hyunsoo Kim two-run double and Byung-ho Park three-run home run, which was said to have been the longest ball hit at the Tokyo Dome that year.

Kim earned the win and outfielder Hyunsoo Kim was named the Most Valuable Player of the Premier12 global tournament, which awarded US$ 1.0 million to the winner.

The U.S., who had not lost to Korea since the 2008 Olympic Games, picked up the silver medals and US$ 600,000 in prize money for the second-place finish. 

Second edition sets path to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Four years later, Japan dominated the second edition of the tournament. In a rematch of the 2015 semifinal against Korea, Samurai Japan overcame an early deficit with a three-run homer from Tetsuto Yamada before going on to beat their Asian neighbours in the final 5-3.

Japan and Korea were from the beginning the favorites of the 2019 tournament. They both swept the Opening Round and made a huge step towards the final winning their first games of the Super Round, as Korea beat USA and Japan topped Australia.

With no semifinals in this event format, the night before the final saw Japan beat Korea to close the Super Round. It was a game with no particular meaning and the final was what everybody wanted as the re-match of the dramatic semifinal of the 2015 edition.

Japan and Korea took the field at a Tokyo Dome that was packed with 44,960 fans on 17 November 2019. Shun Yamaguchi took the mound for Japan and home plate umpire Ray Gregson (USA) called playball. Yamaguchi would be the first of seven pitchers for Samurai Japan.

In the bottom of the first, Korea handed the ball to KBO superstar Hyeon-Jong Yang.

First baseman Tetsuto Yamada put Japan ahead in the bottom of the second with a three-run homer off Korea's superstar starter Yang.

Japan's starter Yamaguchi didn't go beyond the first inning. Six relievers limited Korea to three hits during the rest of the night. Korea wasted no time in getting to Yamaguchi. The Yomiuri Giants 15-game winner walked lead off hitter Lee Jung-hoo on six pitches and then allowed a home run to shortstop Kim Ha-seong.

Left fielder Kim Hyun-soo followed with a solo shot that gave Yang, a former KBO MVP, a three-run lead to work with.

Yang retired the first batter of the bottom of the first, then he walked shortstop Hayato Sakamoto. Seiya Suzuki added some more power hitting to his MVP candidature with a double off the wall and put Samurai Japan on the board.

The bottom of the second was the game-changer. Yang Hyeonjong walked catcher Aizawa. Second baseman Ryosuke Kikuchi singled and Tetsuto Yamada added the three-run homer that gave Japan a lead they would not surrender.

Rei Takahashi and Kazuto Taguchi pitched two innings each and allowed three hits. The rest of the bullpen was perfect. Kota Nakagawa, Hiroshi Kaino, Yoshinubo Yamamoto and Yasuaki Yamasaki each pitched one inning and didn't allow Korea a runner, striking out six.

Samurai Japan managed to add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh as Hideto Asamura singled to score Hayato Sakamoto before Japan celebrated their ultimate victory.

Japan's Seiya Suzuki was named the MVP and was picked as the right fielder for the WBSC All-World Team.

With the top three finishers qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Mexico beat USA in the bronze medal game to join Japan and Korea in the Olympic extravaganza.

2024 edition

The top 12 teams in the world, having earned their places through the WBSC/KONAMI World Rankings at the end of 2023, are ready to battle for the championship.

Group A features World No. 2 Mexico, No. 3 USA, No. 6 Venezuela, No. 7 Netherlands, No. 10 Panama and No. 12 Puerto Rico. Their games will take place from 9-14 November at the Charros de Jalisco Pan American Stadium in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the Santa Teresita Stadium in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.

Group B includes No. 1 Japan, No. 4 Korea, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 Cuba, No. 9 Dominican Republic and No. 11 Australia. Action begins on 13 November, with Japan facing Australia at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, with additional games being held at Taipei Dome and Tianmu Stadium in Taipei City. The Taipei Dome and Tianmu Stadium will host the remaining 12 games through 18 November.

The Tokyo Dome will host the Super Round from 21 to 23 November between the top two finishers of each group.  The first and second-place Super Round teams will compete in the Premier12 Championship game, while the third and fourth-place finishers will play for a bronze medal. The highly anticipated medal games are scheduled for 24 November. Who will stand on top of the podium in edition No. 3?