The Little League World Series is a yearly event, taking place every August in Williamsport, featuring twenty teams of children between the ages of ten and twelve.
Ten teams are from the United States, and the other ten are from various countries worldwide. Past champions include teams from Hawaii, Michigan, Louisiana, and Japan, with Hawaii being the current title holder.
The US teams compete against each other in a bracket, following a double-elimination format, except for the final match.
The international teams are placed in a separate bracket and follow the same format. The victors of each bracket then compete in a single World Series Final match to determine the overall winner.
The Little League World Series takes place in two locations: Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium. The inaugural tournament, initially called the National Little League Tournament, was held in 1947.
Little League Winners From Last 10 Years
The list of victors in the Little League World Series features American teams such as Taylor North Little League and Maine-Endwell Little League.
Annually, the competition takes place, with the exception of 2020, when it was called off because of the global health crisis.
Below is a record of the champions of the Little League World Series from the last 10 years:
- In 2022 – Hawaii
- In 2021-Taylor North
- In 2019-River Ridge
- In 2018-Hawaii
- In 2017-Tokyo Kitasuna
- In 2016-Maine Endwell
- In 2015-Tokyo Kitasuna
- In 2014-Seoul
- In 2013-Musashi Fuchu
- In 2012-Tokyo Kitasuna
In 2022 – Hawaii
The World Series last year was clinched by Hawaii, representing the Western region. In the decisive match, they secured a dominant 13-3 victory over Curacao.
Earlier in the tournament, Hawaii had a strong start by overpowering Washington with an 11-1 win in the Little League World Series (LLWS) opening round.
This momentum carried into the second round, where they delivered a 12-0 thrashing to New York.
Continuing their impressive run, Hawaii then triumphed over Texas with a 6-0 win in the third round. This victory sealed their spot in the US Championship finals.
In the finals, they emerged victorious against Tennessee with a 5-1 win, thus advancing to the LLWS finals.
In 2021-Taylor North
In 2021, the competition was restricted to teams within the United States because of the pandemic. Michigan’s Taylor North emerged victorious, beating Ohio with a score of 5-2 after securing their spot by being the champions of the Great Lakes Region.
In the tournament, Michigan started strong by winning 8-0 against Florida and then 6-5 against Texas. However, they faced a setback in the third round, losing 2-0 to Hawaii.
Later, Michigan had a rematch with Texas in a do-or-die match and triumphed with a 15-6 victory, leading to a second match against Hawaii. This time, Michigan managed to win, with a close score of 2-1.
In 2019-River Ridge
In 2019, the Little League World Series (LLWS) was won by River Ridge, a team from Louisiana representing the Southwest Region. Their journey began with a defeat, losing 5-2 to Hawaii in the opening round.
Undeterred, Louisiana made a comeback by narrowly defeating Oregon 3-2 and then dominating Minnesota with a 10-0 victory.
They continued their winning streak by defeating New Jersey and Virginia, which led them to the US Championship Finals.
In the finals, Louisiana had a rematch against Hawaii, the team that defeated them in the opening round.
This time, Louisiana emerged victorious with a 9-5 win, securing their spot in the LLWS final against Curacao. Louisiana clinched the title with an impressive 8-0 win against Curacao.
In 2018-Hawaii
Hawaii once again features on the list as they had a remarkable performance in 2018 Little League World Series (LLWS), finishing the tournament without a single loss and allowing just three runs.
The team began their journey with a victory against Georgia in the initial round, which was followed by an 8-3 triumph over Michigan.
Subsequently, they secured wins against New York and Georgia, clinching the title of US Champions.
In the Little League World Championship, Hawaii competed against South Korea and emerged victorious with a 3-0 score, clinching their third LLWS championship.
In 2017-Tokyo Kitasuna
Kitasuna, a team from Japan, emerged victorious in the Little League World Series, making them the most recent non-US team to claim the title. They secured a resounding 12-2 victory over Texas in the finals.
The journey to the championship saw Kitasuna beating Australia in the opening round, followed by wins against South Korea and Canada. In the International Championship game, they outplayed Mexico with a 5-0 win.
Remarkably, Kitasuna completed the tournament without a single loss, only allowing three runs while accumulating 39. Their overall tournament record stood at an impressive 14-1.
In 2016-Maine Endwell
MELL, a team based in New York, participated in the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament. Impressively, they managed to beat South Korea with a score of 3-2, making them the third New York team to secure a victory in the LLWS.
Before the tournament, the team had already showcased their strength by maintaining an undefeated streak of 19 victories and zero defeats.
This remarkable performance continued throughout the series as they triumphed over teams from Rhode Island, Kentucky, and twice over Tennessee, ultimately earning them the title of US Champions.
Concluding the tournament, the New York team boasted an impressive unbeaten record of 24 wins and no losses.
In 2015-Tokyo Kitasuna
In the 2015 season, Kitasuna had a remarkable performance by finishing the tournament without a single loss, winning all five of their matches. The final was a notable one, with an 18-11 victory over Pennsylvania, making it the highest-scoring final in history.
This achievement marked the fourth time in six years that Japan secured the title. They started the tournament with an impressive 8-0 record and managed to beat Chinese Taipei in the opening round.
This was followed by victories against Mexico and Venezuela in the subsequent rounds.
In the International Championship, Japan faced Mexico once again and secured a narrow 1-0 win. Ultimately, they finished the tournament with a perfect 13-0 record.
In 2014-Seoul
In the 2014 Little League World Series (LLWS), the Seoul team emerged victorious against Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West, marking the first occasion the event had teams entirely made up of players who were born in the 21st century.
Seoul clinched the match with an 8-4 win.
South Korea’s team showcased their prowess by maintaining an unblemished record throughout the series, overcoming challenges from the Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, and Japan, twice, en route to the grand finale of the Little League World Championship.
This achievement marked the third time a South Korean team triumphed in the LLWS, with the previous victories recorded in 1984 and 1985.
In 2013-Musashi Fuchu
In 2013, Musashi Fuchu of Tokyo secured a 6-4 win against California’s Eastlake team in the championship match.
The Japanese team made it to the Little League World Series (LLWS) after winning all their matches in the Tokyo and National tournament.
Their journey in the LLWS started with a 7-2 win against the Czech Republic, followed by triumphs over Chinese Taipei and Mexico.
In the International finals, Fuchu encountered Mexico again and managed a 3-2 win, securing a spot in the LLWS game. The team finished the tournament undefeated, with a perfect 13-0 record.
In 2012-Tokyo Kitasuna
Kitasuna clinched victory for the third time, securing the 2012 LLWC title, which was notably the final series featuring players born in the 20th century.
In the deciding match, they triumphed over Goodlettsville Baseball from Tennessee with a 12-2 scoreline.
This achievement marked Japan’s eighth championship and their second in a span of three years.
Consistent with the previous two occasions, the Japanese team remained undefeated throughout the tournament, registering a flawless 13-0 record.
Their journey to victory included wins against Curacao, Chinese Taipei, and twice against Panama, ultimately leading them to be crowned as the International Champions.
Little League Winners By Country In World Series
The Little League World Series (LLWS) has been won by teams from seven different countries, including the United States, Japan, Venezuela, Mexico, Curacao, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea.
The United States holds the record with 38 titles, while Curacao has won the least, with a single title in 2004.
Mexico secured its first LLWS title in 1957, marking the first win for a non-US team, and also won the following year. Afterwards, the US dominated by winning eight consecutive titles until Japan ended their streak by winning in 1967 and 1968.
Chinese Taipei won their first of 17 titles in 1969. Between 1967 and 1981, international teams won 13 out of 15 titles, with Taipei winning nine of those.
From 2010 to 2017, Japan enjoyed a period of success, winning five LLWS titles. Venezuela secured victories in 1994 and 2000, while South Korea won in 1984, 1985, and again in 2014.
Below is a list of US cities along with their count of titles:
| Country | LLWS Titles Won |
| United States | 38 |
| Chinese Taipei | 17 |
| Japan | 11 |
| Mexico | 3 |
| South Korea | 3 |
| Venezuela | 2 |
| Curacao | 1 |
Little League World Series US Winners
The United States leads in the number of LLWS titles, holding more championships than all other nations combined.
This dominance is partly because, until 1970, only teams from the United States were permitted to compete, except in 1952 when a Montreal team participated.
California-based teams have secured the highest number of victories, totaling seven. Following closely are teams from Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, each with four titles.
| State | Titles Won |
| California | 7 |
| Connecticut | 4 |
| Hawaii | 4 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 |
| Georgia | 3 |
| New York | 3 |
| Michigan | 2 |
| Texas | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
LLWS Softball Winners List
The Little League Softball World Series has seen various winners including Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Ohio, with Texas leading the pack with a total of fourteen titles.
Just last season, the Midway Little League team from Texas clinched the championship. Florida follows closely with eight championships, and California has secured five.
Additionally, four cities along with New Mexico have won twice, while ten cities and Puerto Rico each boast a single LLSWS championship.
Up until 2022, the series involved ten teams, but this number has since increased to twelve.
The series’ inaugural event was in 1974 and it traditionally takes place at Stallings Stadium in Greenville every August.
Previously, the event was hosted at Alpenrose Stadium outside Portland, before moving to Greenville.
The competition includes winners of the eight regional tournaments across the United States.
The remaining places in the Little League Softball World Series are filled by champions from four international regional tournaments.
- In 2022, the Midway region Texas
- In 2021, Oklahoma’s Green Country
- In 2019, Rowan North Carolina
- In 2018, Wheelersburg Ohio
- In 2017, Lake Air Texas
- In 2016, Greater Helotes Texas
- In 2015, Rowan North Carolina
- In 2014, Robbinsville New Jersey
- In 2013,Sunnyside Arizona
- In 2012, Eastdale New Mexico