The Little League Baseball World Series returns in full force for the first time since 2019, and on its 75th anniversary, the tournament is getting even bigger.
After canceling the series in 2020 and hosting only domestic teams in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LLBWS is expanding to 20 total teams this year, up from 16 teams in the past.
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Two of the new teams will come from new U.S. regions: the Mountain Region, which includes Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, and the Metro Region, which consists of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The additional two new teams will come from a group that includes Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico, with two of these countries earning automatic bids on a rotational basis. Puerto Rico and Panama were given direct entry into the 2022 tournament while Cuba’s first direct entry will come in 2023. The remaining team out of this group of three that does not have a direct entry in a given year (Cuba for the 2022 tournament) will vie for a ticket to Williamsport, Pa., by playing through its respective regional tournament.
In the lead up to the 2022 LLBWS, Utah emerged as the top team out of the Mountain Region while New York earned an invite to the tournament by winning the Metro Region. See a full list of the teams below.
When does the Little League Baseball World Series Start?
The tournament begins on Aug. 17 and runs through Aug. 28. It includes 38 games and a home run derby that is set for Aug. 25.
(Photo: Evan Habeeb / USA Today)
How you can watch the LLBWS
Every game of the series will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. The U.S. final, the international final and the championship game will be on ABC. You can follow live scoring throughout the tournament here.
Why are there new regions this year?
The LLBWS last expanded in 2001 when it grew to 16 teams, and the Little League organization began exploring opportunities to grow further in 2016 when it restructured its teen divisions. Little League said the new U.S. regions are “effectively dividing the East and West Regions, respectively, into three sub-regions at the Little League Baseball division.” The simplest answer seems to be that Little League wanted to give more athletes the opportunity to play in the tournament.
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How is the LLBWS tournament set up?
In order to reach this week’s World Series, teams first had to win their double-elimination regional tournament against other teams from their area.
The 10 U.S. teams and 10 international teams to reach the LLWS are then split into two separate brackets and then five-team pods within each of those.
The winners of the U.S. and international brackets will face off in the LLWS Final on Aug. 28. The runners-up of the U.S. and international brackets will also play each other in a third-place consolation game the same day.
How does the expansion change the format of the LLBWS?
Some teams will be randomly given a bye to fit into the tournament’s modified double-elimination format. There will be no single elimination. Every team that earned a berth to the series will play multiple games.
Where are this year’s teams from?
United States teams:
- Great Lakes Region: Hagerstown Little League (Hagerstown, Ind.)
- Metro Region: Massapequa Coast Little League (Massapequa, N.Y.)
- Mid-Atlantic Region: Hollidaysburg Area Summer Baseball Little League (Hollidaysburg, Pa.)
- Midwest Region: Davenport Southeast Little League (Davenport, Iowa)
- Mountain Region: Snow Canyon Little League (Santa Clara, Utah)
- New England Region: Middleboro Little League (Middleborough, Mass.)
- Northwest Region: Bonney Lake/Sumner Little League (Bonney Lake, Wash.)
- Southeast Region: Nolensville Little League (Nolensville, Tenn.)
- Southwest Region: Pearland Little League (Pearland, Texas)
- West Region: Honolulu Little League (Honolulu, Hawaii)
International Teams:
- Asia-Pacific Region: Fu-Lin Little League (Taipei City, Chinese Taipei)
- Australia Region: Brisbane North Region Little League (Queensland, Australia)
- Canada Region: Little Mountain Little League (Vancouver, British Columbia)
- Caribbean Region: Pabao Little League (Willemstad, Curaçao)
- Europe-Africa Region: Emilia Romagna Little League (Bologna, Italy)
- Japan Region: Takarazuka Little League (Takarazuka, Hyogo)
- Latin America Region: 14 de Septiembre Little League (Managua, Nicaragua)
- Mexico Region: Matamoros Little League (Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico)
- Panama Region: Aguadulce Cabezera Little League (Aguadulce, Panama)
- Puerto Rico Region: Guaynabo Baseball Little League (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico)
You can view the full bracket here.
Why is the LLBWS held in Williamsport?
(Photo: Evan Habeeb / USA Today)
The history of Little League can be traced directly back to Williamsport, as the program was founded there in 1939 by Carl. E Stotz. The first LLBWS was played eight years later at Original Field at Memorial Park in Williamsport, and the tournament has been a summer staple of the Pennsylvania town ever since.
(Photo: Evan Habeeb / USA Today)
Tess DeMeyer is a Staff Editor for The Athletic working on the live/breaking news team. Prior to joining The Athletic, she worked as an associate digital producer at Sports Illustrated. Tess attended Brown University and originates from a small town outside of Savannah, GA. Follow Tess on Twitter @tess_demeyer
