Korea 3rd in latest baseball rankings, behind Japan, U.S.

Korea stayed at No. 3 in the latest baseball’s world rankings released Friday.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) said Korea will head into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as world No. 3 with 4,622 points, behind Japan (6,127) and the United States (4,676).

The WBSC rankings measure national team performance - from under-12 to professional - in WBSC-sanctioned international competitions over a four-year period.

These rankings will be the basis of the groupings at Tokyo 2020, where six countries will be divided into two groups.

Japan is in as the host country, and Korea qualified for the Olympics by finishing as the top Asia/Oceania country, other than Japan, at the Premier12. Mexico, the top American nation at the Premier12, and Israel, winner of Africa/Europe qualifying, have also secured their Olympic berths.

The remaining two spots will be filled this spring.

Yonhap