United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a nation that occupies part of the British Isles in northwestern Europe, with most of its territory and population on the island of Great Britain off the coast of continental Europe. Great Britain is also widely, but incorrectly, used as a synonym for the nation. The nation consists of the four countries of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and outlying territories.

Major League baseball was first played in the UK in June of 2019 when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees faced each other at London's Olympic Stadium. The experience was renewed in 2023 after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. MLB has invested significant resources in growing the game in the country, including among the young, seeing it as a natural market even if baseball is currently more popular in some other European countries.

The United Kingdom national baseball team qualified to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The team managed to win a game, and not to look out of place in its others, while greatly increasing the visibility of baseball in the country. The team relied primarily on players from The Bahamas or US players with British ties. The win, earned against Colombia, also meant that the UK had automatically qualified for the next edition of the tournament.

Further Reading

• Michael Clair: "Great Britain's baseball future is bright after Classic showing", mlb.com, June 18, 2023. [1]
• Elizabeth Muratore: "How MLB First Pitch worked its magic with UK kids in 2024", mlb.com, December 5, 2024. [2]
• Andrew Weltch: "British Baseball: How a curious version of the game survives in parts of England and Wales", in The National Pastime, SABR, Volume 28 (2008), pp. 30-34.