Global Autumn Baseball Showdown: From America to Asia and Europe

By Byung Kee Park

In a whirlwind of autumn baseball action, leagues worldwide are witnessing intense competition.

Major League Baseball (MLB) - USA In the American League (AL) of MLB, the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros have advanced directly to the League Division Series (ALDS). The Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays are battling it out in the wildcard round to secure their place in the ALDS. The wildcard series, which follows a best-of-three format, commenced on October 3. On the National League (NL) side, the Atlanta Braves and LA Dodgers have clinched their spots in the NLDS. The Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, and Arizona Diamondbacks are competing in their respective wildcard games. On the first day, the Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Philadelphia Phillies each secured a victory, putting them just one win away from advancing. Their opponents are on the brink of elimination.

Nippon Professional Baseball - Japan Often regarded as the world's second-best league, Japan's professional baseball is divided into the Pacific League and the Central League. The top team from each league advances directly to the Climax Series Final Stage. The second and third-placed teams will face off in the First Stage, similar to a wildcard round, with a best-of-three format. The team that makes it to the Climax Series Final Stage will start with a one-win advantage in a best-of-seven series, effectively making it a six-game series at most. This season, the Hanshin Tigers look poised to lead the Central League into the Climax Series, while the Orix Buffaloes dominate the Pacific League. The Climax Series will kick off on October 14, followed by the Japan Series, starting October 28.

Korea Baseball Organization - South Korea Ranked third in terms of global stature; the Korean baseball league consists of ten teams competing in a single league. The LG Twins have secured a direct spot in the Korean Series. The teams ranked second to fifth will compete in the postseason. The wildcard round starts on October 20, with the fourth and fifth-placed teams clashing. The winner then takes on the third-placed team in the semi-playoff round from October 23 to 29. The victor of this series will face the second-placed team from October 31 to November 6 in the playoff round. The champion from this round will challenge the LG Twins in the Korean Series from November 8 to 16. The long rest could either serve as a valuable recovery period or might cause the LG Twins to lose their competitive edge.

Chinese Professional Baseball League - Taiwan Considered the fourth strongest league globally, Taiwan's professional baseball league has five teams. The champions of the First and Second Stages will compete in the Taiwan Series.

Honkbal Hoofdklasse - Netherlands In Europe, the Dutch league, known as Honkbal Hoofdklasse, operates at a semi-professional level. The Neptunus Rotterdam is the powerhouse team set to play in the Holland Series this October. Many of its players have experience in the American minor leagues and independent leagues, ensuring a commendable level of baseball.

With leagues in full swing and playoffs on the horizon, fans worldwide have plenty of thrilling baseball action to look forward to this season.