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Key Takeaways
The Pacific Baseball Championship will alternate annually between the U.S. West Coast and Japan through 2029, with American editions in 2026 and 2028
Tournament shifts from August to December starting in 2026 to align with international baseball schedules and create a year-end showcase
Inaugural 2025 event at Japan’s Sapporo Dome drew eight Pacific nations, with the U.S. team taking the title under manager Tom Gordon
Selection for the 2026 PG USA roster begins November 1-3 at the 14U National All-State Select Championships in Tomball, Texas
Eight countries participated in the debut tournament: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the United States
Perfect Game announced Thursday a structured, multi-year format for its Pacific Baseball Championship, a 15U international tournament designed to connect top amateur players across the Pacific region. The event will rotate between the United States and Japan over the next four years, with specific calendar and location adjustments to support international participation.
A Four-Year Roadmap for International Competition
The 2026 and 2028 editions will take place on the U.S. West Coast, with the specific 2026 host city to be announced in the coming months. The 2027 and 2029 tournaments will return to Japan. This rotation follows the inaugural event held in August 2025 at Sapporo Dome, where a U.S. team managed by three-time MLB All-Star Tom “Flash” Gordon captured the title.
The alternating format provides both American and international players with access to competition venues in their regions while maintaining a consistent event structure. Perfect Game confirmed that semi-finals and finals will continue to be broadcast on PerfectGame.TV.
December Timing Aligns with Global Baseball Calendars
Beginning with the 2026 competition, the Pacific Baseball Championship will move from August to December. This shift accommodates international baseball schedules and positions the event as a year-end showcase for elite 15U talent.
The timing change also affects the selection timeline for the PG USA team. Rather than drawing from summer tournaments, the 2026 roster will begin taking shape at the 14U National All-State Select Championships in Tomball, Texas, from November 1-3. Approximately half of the PG USA team will be selected from the All Tournament players at that event, with the final roster expected to be announced in late summer 2026.
Foundation Built on Eight-Nation Debut
The 2025 Pacific Baseball Championship brought together 15U national and regional all-star teams from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the United States. The event combined high-level competition with cultural exchange, a model Perfect Game CEO Rob Ponger described as core to the platform’s international mission.
“The Pacific Baseball Championship represents the best of what Perfect Game stands for, which is elite competition, cultural exchange and lifelong connections through baseball,” Ponger said in a statement. “We’re honored to collaborate with our international partners to create an event that showcases the game’s rising stars from across the Pacific.”
Gordon, who managed the inaugural PG USA team, reflected on the experience: “Managing the PG USA team at the inaugural Pacific Baseball Championship was one of the most rewarding experiences of my baseball life. You could feel how much the players and fans from every country loved being part of something bigger than themselves. This event is going to inspire kids all over the world to dream bigger through baseball.”
Looking Ahead
Perfect Game plans to announce additional details about the 2026 Pacific Baseball Championship, including venue specifics, participating nations, and event partners, in the coming months. The structured four-year plan provides participating countries and families with advance planning visibility while establishing the PBC as a recurring fixture on the international youth baseball calendar.
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