Little League World Series teams, ages, pitch count & more to know for 2022 tournament
The Little League World Series is once again putting a world emphasis on their 2022 tournament.
A year after returning to an all-US field for the first time since 1975, the 75th Little League World Series will once again feature the best competitions from around the world, including two new expansion teams for the United States and international competitions.
Last year, Taylor North Little League (Taylor, Michigan) beat West Side Little League (Hamilton, Ohio) in the finals. Of course, there will be no such finals this year as teams from outside the United States are back.
The US has won the Little League World Series three straight years, the longest such streak since US-based teams won the tournament five straight years from 2005-2009. Will the final series grow to four, or will an international team step in to claim the crown?
MORE: Little League World Series 2022 schedule, results and channels
Sporting News has everything you need to know about this year’s tournament:
Little League World Series 2022 teams
The 2022 Little League World Series will feature a 20-team field for the first time as international rosters return for the first time since 2019. This year’s tournament will add two teams from both brackets – Metro and Mountain in the US, and Panama and Puerto Rico internationally – to expand the field to 20 teams.
Also of note: Little League World Series expansion teams begin 2022 with a three-year rotation between Panama, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, with the former two accepting the first automatic bid rotation this year. Automatic bid rotation will move to Panama and Cuba in 2023 and Cuba and Puerto Rico in 2024. The third country each year still has a chance to qualify via its regional tournament (Cuba didn’t make it out of the Caribbean this year).
Here’s a look at the teams set to compete for the 2022 Little League World Series title:
US teams
| region | team | location |
| New England | Middleborough Little League | Middleborough, Mass. |
| metro | Massapequa Coast Little League | Massapequa, New York |
| mid-atlantic | Hollidaysburg Area Summer Baseball Little League | Holidaysburg, Pa. |
| South East | Little League of Nolensville | Nolensville, Tennessee. |
| Big lakes | Little League of Hagerstown | Hagerstown, Ind. |
| Middle West | Davenport Southeast Little League | Davenport, Iowa |
| Mountain | Snow Canyon Little League | Santa Clara, Utah |
| southwest | Pearland Little League | Pearland, Texas |
| northwest | Bonney Lake/Summer Little League | Bonney Lake, Washington. |
| west | Honolulu Little League | Honolulu, Hawaii |
International teams
| region | team | location |
| Latin America | September 14 Little League | Managua, Nicaragua |
| Caribbean | Small Pabao League | Willemstad, Curaco |
| Australia | Brisbane North Little League | Queensland, Australia |
| Canada | Little Mountain Little League | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Europe-Africa | Little League of Emilia Romagna | Bologna, Italy |
| Asia Pacific | Minor Fu Lin League | Taipei City, Chinese Taipei |
| Panama | Aguadulce Cabezera Little League | Aguadulce, Panama |
| Japan | Little League by Takaruzaka | Takaruzaka, Japan |
| Puerto Rico | Little League of Guaynabo | Guianabo, Puerto Rico |
| Mexico | Little League of Matamoros | Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
Little League World Series 2022 bracket
You can download a PDF of the complete Little League World Series 2022 bracket here.
Venue of the Little League World Series
The Little League World Series returns to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the event has been held since its inception in 1947.
How old are the Little League World Series players?
This year the eligible age group for participants is between 10 and 12 years old. The previous two tournaments only allowed 11- and 12-year-olds. Previously, the age group allowed children as young as 13 to play.
What is the LLWS pitch count limit?
The Little League World Series 2022 has different rules for the number of places for its participants this year, considering that 10-year-olds are now allowed to participate (unlike the previous two tournaments, which only allowed 11-12-year-olds were allowed).
Under Little League Baseball regulations, 10-year-olds have a 75-pitch count. Participants who are 11 or 12 years old can throw up to 85 pitches in one game. The specified rest time per pitch count is the same for all participants aged 10-12 and remains the same as in previous years:
| pitches | rest days |
|---|---|
| 66-85 | 4 |
| 51-65 | 3 |
| 36-50 | 2 |
| 21-35 | 1 |
| 1-20 | 0 |
Field size of the Little League World Series
- 46 feet: Pitching rubber to home plate
- 60 feet: Length of base paths
- 225 feet: Home plate to outfield fence
The return of the Little League World Series to Williamsport, Pennsylvania means the series will continue to be played at Howard J. Lamade’s and Little League Volunteer’s stadiums, both of which share the same dimensions.
Who won the LLWS 2021?
Taylor North Little League of Taylor, Michigan won the 2021 Little League World Series. It was the first such title for a Michigan team since 1959. The team defeated the West Side Little League of Hamilton, Ohio in the LLWS Finals with 5 :2 (previously the team defeated the team 9-1 in the Great Lakes Regional). Final).
Taylor North reached the Little League World Series 7-0, 3-0 in the Michigan State Championship Tournament and 4-0 in the Great Lakes Regional Tournament. The team went 4-1 in the Hank Aaron championship bracket and only lost 2-0 to Hawaii in the third round of the bracket. Michigan avenged the loss in the bracket final and won 2-1.
List of past Little League World Series champions
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) wins most Little League World Series titles with 17 (last win was in 1996). Next on the list are Japan with nine (last won in 2017) and California, last won in 2011.
Each of the last three Little League World Series has produced new champions in Hawaii (2018), Louisiana (2019), and Michigan (2021).
| Year | winner |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Williamsport, Pa. |
| 1948 | Lockhaven, Pa. |
| 1949 | Hammonton, New Jersey |
| 1951 | Stamford, Conn. |
| 1952 | Norwalk, Conn. |
| 1953 | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1954 | Schenectady, New York |
| 1955 | Morrisville, Pa. |
| 1956 | Roswell, NM |
| 1957 | Monterrey, Mexico |
| 1958 | Monterrey, Mexico |
| 1959 | Hamtramk, Mich. |
| 1960 | Levittown, Pa. |
| 1961 | El Cajon, California |
| 1962 | San Jose, California |
| 1963 | Granada Hills, California |
| 1964 | Staten Island, New York |
| 1965 | Windsor Locks, Conn. |
| 1966 | Houston |
| 1967 | West Tokyo, Japan |
| 1968 | Wakayama, Osaka, Japan |
| 1969 | Taichung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1970 | Wayne, NJ |
| 1971 | Tainan, Chinese Taipei |
| 1972 | Taipei, Chinese Taipei |
| 1973 | Tainan, Chinese Taipei |
| 1974 | Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1975 | Lakewood, NJ |
| 1976 | Chofu, Tokyo, Japan |
| 1977 | Kahosiung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1978 | Pingtung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1979 | Chiayi County, Chinese Taipei |
| 1980 | Hua-Lien, Chinese Taipei |
| 1981 | Taichung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1982 | Kirkland, Washington. |
| 1983 | Marietta, Ga. |
| 1984 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 1985 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 1986 | Tainan, Chinese Taipei |
| 1987 | Hua-Lien, Chinese Taipei |
| 1988 | Taichung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1989 | Trumbull, Conn. |
| 1990 | Tainan County, Chinese Taipei |
| 1991 | Taichung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1992 | Long Beach, California |
| 1993 | Long Beach, California |
| 1994 | Maracaibo, Venezuela |
| 1995 | Tainan, Chinese Taipei |
| 1996 | Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei |
| 1997 | Guadalupe, Mexico |
| 1998 | Tom’s River, New Jersey |
| 1999 | Hirakata, Osaka, Japan |
| 2001 | Maracaibo, Venezuela |
| 2002 | Valley station, Ky. |
| 2003 | Musashi-Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2004 | Willemstad, Curacao |
| 2005 | Ewa Beach, Hawaii |
| 2006 | Columbus, Ga. |
| 2007 | Warner Robins, Ga. |
| 2008 | Waipahu, Hawaii |
| 2009 | Chula Vista, California |
| 2010 | Edogawa Minami, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2011 | Huntington Beach, California |
| 2012 | Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2013 | Musashi Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2014 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2015 | Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2016 | Maine-Endwell, NY |
| 2017 | Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2018 | Honolulu |
| 2019 | River Ridge, La. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Taylor, Mich. |