The Poland national baseball team represents Poland in international competition and is governed by the Polish Baseball and Softball Federation, a member of WBSC Europe and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The team competes in European championship tournaments and World Baseball Classic (WBC) qualifying events and serves as Poland's primary representative in international baseball. As of the most recent WBSC world rankings, Poland is ranked 54th.
The national program includes age divisions at the U-18, U-23, and senior levels. In recent years, the senior team recorded a second-place finish at the 2024 European Qualifiers and a second-place finish at the 2025 , while the U-18 national team captured first place in European qualifier competition. Since the appointment of new coaching staff in 2024, Poland's position in the World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings has improved from 72nd to 54th.
History The first baseball game was held in Poland in 1919, though a similar bat-and-ball game called palant was also played in the country. A national palant and baseball federation was formed in 1960. The national team's first match was held in 1983 against a club team from the Netherlands, . Polish-American Stan Musial, a Baseball Hall of Famer, was named the honorary chairman of the Polish Baseball Federation in the 1980s and field was built in his honor in Kutno, Poland. A Little League youth program began in 1989, and Little League's Europe and Africa Region offices are in Kutno. The national team began competing in European Baseball Championship qualifiers in 1990, and a team from Kutno made the 2004 Little League World Series.
Coaching staff
The Polish national baseball team's coaching and leadership structure combines professional baseball experience with organizational management aimed at developing the sport nationally and internationally.
Manager: John McLaren – Former Major League Baseball (MLB) manager and longtime MLB coach. Assistant Coach: Dennis Cook – Former MLB pitcher and World Series champion. General Manager: Paul Bragiel – Investor and entrepreneur backing and supporting long-term program development.
In 2024, the Polish national baseball team strengthened its coaching structure by hiring former MLB manager John McLaren and former MLB pitcher and World Series champion Dennis Cook. Cook's hiring was part of a broader strategy to bring professional-level expertise to the program, drawing on his 15-year major keague career and extensive international coaching experience. Alongside Cook, investor and entrepreneur Paul Bragiel joined the team's leadership as a bench coach and special advisor, leveraging his business background and passion for baseball to support the federation's efforts to grow the sport in Poland and connect with players of Polish heritage.
Their first coaching experience together took place during the European Championship Qualifier held in Kutno, where they helped Poland advance to the final of the qualifier before ultimately losing to Lithuania.
Current roster
Tournament results
European Junior Baseball Championship 2007 : 10th
European Youth Baseball Championship 2006 : 7th 2007 : 8th
European Juveniles Baseball Championship 2006 : 4th 2007 : 2nd 2008 : 3rd 2015 : 4th European Championship Qualifiers 2007 : 3rd (Pool 1, Group A) 2009 : 3rd (Pool 2) 2011 : 4th (Pool Antwerp) 2013 : 4th (Pool Zurich) 2015 : 6th, relegated to Pool C (Pool Vienna) 2016 : 1st in Pool C (Miejska Górka Group), 2017: 3rd (tied) in Pool B (Miejska Górka Group) 2019 : 3rd in Pool B (Trnava, Slovakia) 2021 : 4th in Pool B (Utena, Lithuania) 2022: 5th in Pool B (Belgrade , Serbia) 2024 : 2nd (Group B)(Kunto, Poland) 2026 : 2nd (Group B) (Wrolcaw, Poland)
2025 : 2nd (Group B)
U-18 European Championship Qualifiers 2025 : 1st (Group B)
Date Opponent Score Result Tournament Venue 2024 European Qualifiers 2024-07-24 Lithuania 3–8 L 2024 European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium, Kutno, Poland 2024-07-25 Finland 7–4 W 2024 European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium, Kutno, Poland 2024-07-26 Romania 0–0 W 2024 European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium, Kutno, Poland 2024-07-27 Lithuania 9–10 L Championship Stan Musial Stadium, Kutno, Poland
Date Opponent Score Result Tournament Venue Prague Baseball Week (Group B) 2025-06-27 Slovakia 6–5 W Prague Baseball Week Prague, Czech Republic 2025-06-28 Lithuania 11–1 W Prague Baseball Week Prague, Czech Republic 2025-06-29 Switzerland 4–19 L Prague Baseball Week Prague, Czech Republic 2025-06-30 Switzerland 1–5 L Championship Prague, Czech Republic
Date Opponent Score Result Tournament Venue U-18 European Qualifiers – July 2025 Tournament 2025-07-07 Ukraine 4–3 W European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium 2025-07-09 Switzerland 10–5 W European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium 2025-07-11 Lithuania 14–0 W European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium 2025-07-12 Sweden 0-14 L European Qualifiers Stan Musial Stadium 2025-07-12 Sweden 4–2 W Championship Stan Musial Stadium
References
External links Poland Baseball and Softball Federation official site