United States Region
The USA is the home of America's pastime, and just because the game has turned global doesn't mean that's changed. Of the 19 leagues and 452 teams currently in the World Baseball Federation, 9 leagues and 300 teams make up the USA delegation. Despite the number of leagues, however, only the MLB has an amateur draft.
Major League Baseball - MLB
The MLB remains the supreme baseball league in the world, with the only league reputation of 10. The league is comprised of 36 teams, and each year, the bottom 4 finishers are relegated.
Past Champions:
1946 - Phoenix Rising
1947 - Philadelphia Phillies
United States Baseball Association - USBA
The 2nd highest tier in the USA system also features 36 teams, and has a league reputation of 8. The top 4 are promoted to the MLB, and the bottom 4 are relegated to the CBL.
Past Champions:
1946 - Rochester Red Wings
1947 - Seattle Rainiers
Continental Baseball League - CBL
The 3rd best league in the USA is the CBL, and it is the only other league that has 36 teams. Its reputation is 7, and like all American leagues, the top and bottom 4 finishers earn a promotion and a relegation, respectively.
Past Champions:
1946 - Lawrence Millionaires
1947 - Daytona Beach Islanders
American Baseball League - AmBL
The AmBL checks in at the #4 spot on the USA baseball totem pole, with a reputation of 6. Unlike the highest leagues, the AmBL only has 32 teams.
Past Champions:
1946 - DeLand Red Wolves
1947 - Eau Claire Bears
Liberty League - LL
The Liberty League is smack in the middle of the United States, with 4 leagues higher up in the food chain, and 4 leagues below. Naturally, its reputation is middling, at 5. Like the AmBL, the LL has 32 teams.
Past Champions:
1946 - Johnson City Cardinals
1947 - Bluefield Blue-Grays
Union Baseball League - UBL
The UBL ranks 6th out of the 9 USA-based leagues, and has a reputation of 4. It also has a tie for the fewest number of teams, with only 30 clubs in the league at a time.
Past Champions:
1946 - Lakeland Pilots
1947 - Ozark Eagles
Federal Baseball League - FBL
The FBL is the only other league with 30 teams, and its reputation checks in at 3.
Past Champions:
1946 - Knoxville Smokies
1947 - Salt Lake City Bees
National Baseball League - NBL
The NBL is a step up when it comes to sheer number of teams, as 34 clubs make up this level, but it is a step down in reputation, coming in at a lowly 2.
Past Champions:
1946 - Chanute Owls
1947 - Hopkinsville Hoppers
Grand National Association - GNA
The 34-team GNA isn't just the lowliest league in the USA; it's the lowliest league in the entire world, as the only league with a reputation of 1. While the top 4 earn promotions to the NBL, the bottom 4 remain in the league, with nowhere else to go.
Past Champions:
1946 - Natchez Kings
1947 - Albuquerque Dukes
Canadian Region
Baseball isn't just limited to the USA in North America. North of the border, the game is quickly growing, as Canada supplies more players to the WBF than any other country outside of the United States.
Baseball Canada - BC
The 20 team Baseball Canada league debuted in 1946, and quickly expanded to 22 teams following its inaugural season. With a reputation of 6 and the large talent pool, expect rapid expansion to continue in the coming seasons.
Past Champions:
1946 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1947 - Toronto Maple Leafs
Caribbean Region
The vibrant Caribbean and Central American regions are chock full of talent, and have rabid fanbases to boot as the game continues to grow.
Primera Liga del Caribe - PLC
The PLC, at 7, has the highest reputation of any non-USA league, and is one of 3-4 most prestigious leagues worldwide. 20 teams make up the league, with clubs located in Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Puerto Rico.
Past Champions:
1946 - Cangrejeros de Santurce
1947 - Santiago de Cuba Avispas
South American Region
As we continue our trek southward, baseball continues to develop. South America has fewer teams than the rest of North America, but expansion looks to continue with passionate fan bases.
Campeonato Sudamericano de Beisbol - CSB
The CSB is the smallest league in the Western Hemisphere, starting at just 12 teams, but expansion occurred for the first time between the 1947 and 1948 seasons and the league now features 14 teams. Clubs are located in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Curacao, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. While the league is competitive, its small size hurts its reputation, coming in at just 5.
Past Champions:
1946 - Sao Paulo Beisebol Clube
1947 - Millonarios Beisbol Club
Western European Region
As we fly over the Atlantic, we find that baseball has reached Europe, where it has quickly exploded in popularity. Many prominent football clubs have expanded operations to field a baseball team, and the demand grew quickly enough that an entire 2nd league was started, and a promotion/relegation system quickly put in place.
European Premier League - EPL
The EPL is the premier (pun intended) baseball league outside of the Western Hemisphere, with a reputation of 6. 24 teams represent the league, and the following countries have at least one representative: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. Each year, the last place team is relegated starting with the 1947 season.
Past Champions:
1946 - B.C. Barcelona
1947 - Atletico Madrid
European Baseball League - EBL
As a response to the high demand for baseball action in Europe, the EBL was formed for the 1947 season, and featured 12 teams initially, before expanding to 14 teams for the 1948 year. The league champion earns a promotion to the EPL. Countries currently with an EBL team include Austria, Belgium, England, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.
Past Champions:
1947 - A.S. Roma
Eastern European/Soviet Region
Baseball isn't just limited to the western part of Europe; Soviet Russia, members of the Eastern Bloc, and other countries in Eastern Europe have demonstrated an interest in the game. Germany is a part of this region, and while no sports club has begun to field a baseball team yet, rumors have it that several will be looking to join within in the next few seasons with a rising number of German players entering the draft.
Beysbol'nyy Al'yans Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik - BASR
The BASR, translated roughly to the Baseball Alliance of Soviet Republics, is a growing league, despite its low reputation of 3. It began with just 10 teams, expanded after 1946 to 12 teams, and expanded yet again after 1947 to move to 14 teams. Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan have teams in the BASR.
Past Champions:
1946 - BK Dinamo Moskva
1947 - BK Zenit Sankt-Peterburg
North African/Middle Eastern Region
Despite being just across the Mediterranean Sea, baseball is only just beginning to take off in North Africa and the Middle East, having just formed a league. This region is tied for the 2nd smallest with just 12 teams.
Arabian Baseball League - ArBL
The ArBL has just formed for the 1948 season, and features 12 teams from 12 different countries - Egypt, Iran, Israel, Mali, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, and Turkey. The league has the lowest reputation (2) of any internationally-based league.
Chinese Region
Baseball quickly spread across the continents of Europe and Asia and reached the Chinese in time for the 1946 season. However, rumors abound that the Chinese Region and East Asian region may consider consolidation to improve the competitive nature of both leagues.
Chinese Professional Baseball League - CPBL
The CPBL began in 1946 with 12 teams, and has remained at a constant 12 teams throughout its short history. It parallels the FBL, AuBL, and BASR with a league reputation of 3. Half of the league's 12 teams hail from China, while 5 represent Taiwan, and 1 is located in Hong Kong.
Past Champions:
1946 - Tianjin Lions
1947 - Tainan UniLions
East Asian Region
As mentioned before, rumors are spreading that the East Asian and Chinese Regions may consolidate operations. For now, they remain standalone leagues, and despite baseball in East Asia not taking off until 1947, it has rapidly ascended the worldwide ladder, in part due to its fiercely loyal, passionate fans.
Asian Professional Baseball League - APBL
Beginning in 1947, the APBL features 12 teams, with 6 each coming from Japan and South Korea. Rabid fanbases and high quality local talent have allowed this league to earn a reputation of 5 in just a short time.
Past Champions:
1947 - Tokyo Swallows
Oceania Region
Last but not least, baseball (mostly) completed its trek around the globe when it picked up mainly in Australia prior the 1948 season. While leagues are still just beginning to attempt to organize in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, WBF executives can be satisfied knowing the game has spread across the planet.
Australian Baseball League - AuBL
Last but not least...well, the AuBL actually is last, at least when it comes to number of teams. Having just formed for its inaugural season, the AuBL has a reputation of 3 and fields just 8 teams. 6 of those teams are located in Australia, with one nearby in New Zealand, and one surprise entry from Fiji.
***disclaimer - many of the league logos shown above, and many of the team logos coming in the future have been made by the talented people on these forums, so I want to make sure that it's known that I'm not taking credit for these. Txranger in particular is the source for many of the league logos, and there may be others as well.