MLB's largest-ever '2026 MLB CUP KOREA' to be held... 'Total of 254 teams participating'

*This content was translated by AI.

Major League Baseball (MLB) will hold the '2026 MLB Cup Korea' starting the 6th in collaboration with the Korea Little League Baseball Association.

This seventh edition of the tournament will maintain the nationwide regional qualification system introduced last year, while expanding the scale of the final round and adding a Rookie Division to operate as a nationwide little league festival where even more young players and their families can participate.

The MLB Cup Korea is organized by dividing the country into regions for preliminary rounds, with each Ji Yeok (CEO)team advancing to the final round. The nationwide regional qualification system, first introduced last year, has contributed to expanding the base of little league baseball by simultaneously providing regional competition and experience on a national stage.

This year's tournament will significantly expand the scale of the final round. Previously, only the regional champions advanced to the final round, with 16 teams competing by age group. Starting this year, the top two teams from each region will advance to the final round, resulting in 32 teams each in the U10 and U12 categories competing on the national stage. This will allow more players and teams to experience the final round held at Hwaseong Dream Park, which was newly introduced last year.

Regional preliminaries will be held by nationwide regions. The Daegu and Gyeongbuk regional preliminaries will take place from the 6th to 9 at Daegu Riverside Student Baseball Field, while the Busan and Gyeongnam regional preliminaries will be held from the 8th to 11 at Gijang Hyundai Dreamball Park.

The Seoul Capital Area, Chungcheong, Gangwon, Jeolla, and Jeju regional preliminaries will be held from the 13th to 20 at Hwaseong Dream Park. The 32 teams each in U10 and U12 that pass the regional preliminaries will participate in the final round held at Hwaseong Dream Park starting July 18.

In particular, the final round is planned to be operated not just as a simple competition but as a festival-style nationwide little league event where players, families, and fans can enjoy together. Through this, MLB aims to further strengthen the scale and symbolism unique to the MLB Cup and solidify its status as the largest little league tournament in the country.

The 2026 MLB Cup Korea is expected to feature the largest number of participants in its history. Following last year's participation of a total of 227 teams (91 teams in U10 and 132 teams in U12), this year a total of 254 teams will participate, including 95 teams in U10, 139 teams in U12, and 20 teams in the Rookie Division. This demonstrates the continued growth of the MLB Cup Korea as the nation's largest little league tournament.

Another feature of this year's tournament is the introduction of the Rookie Division. The Rookie Division is a new category designed to allow not only players who are learning baseball professionally but also young players at the hobby and introductory levels to participate without burden.

Considering the schedules of young players entering baseball, semi-final matches were held on weekends from April to May, with the final round scheduled to take place during the final round period in July. The Rookie Division was planned to enable more children to easily and enjoyably experience baseball, with the goal of expanding the base of youth baseball and activating a lifestyle sports-type baseball culture.

Raymond Liu, MLB Executive Vice President of International Business, stated, "The MLB Cup Korea is growing into the nation's representative youth baseball festival where more young players and families can participate each year. This year, we have prepared to allow more children to feel the joy and special experiences of baseball through the expansion of the final round and the introduction of the Rookie Division. MLB will continue to strive for the development of Korean little league baseball and to provide more opportunities in the future."

MLB will also continue to operate the 'MLB Cup Scholarship Program' this year to support the education of promising youth players and the development of baseball. The scholarship program, now in its fifth year, will continue as part of MLB's long-term efforts to nurture and support the growth of future youth players.

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*This content was translated by AI.