What are the Opening and Super rounds in Americas Olympic baseball qualifiers?

After hurdles and pushbacks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, baseball’s Olympic qualifying tournament will begin on Monday, May 31st.

Four teams have already qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, including Japan, Israel, South Korea and Mexico. In the coming days and weeks, qualifiers from the Americas will be determined.

What is the opening round and how many teams are a part of it?

Eight teams make up the opening round, which consists of two groups. The US baseball team has their first game in the opening round against Nicaragua at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 1st in St. Lucie, Florida.

Group A: The United States, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

Group B: Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Canada

Cuba, playing in group B, was reportedly worried early this week, as visa issuance was delayed. However, concerns were resolved on Tuesday, May 25th, when the Cuban Baseball Federation announced that visas had been issued for the Cuban Team:

The news has been received with pleasure by the members of our team, given that the decision, as we have repeated in recent days, is essential for realizing our fight for our dream in Tokyo.

What is the super round and when is it?

The two top teams in both group A and B will advance to the super round, and the top team from the super round will earn their spot in the Olympic tournament. This winning team from the Americas will therefore join the qualified countries in Tokyo: Japan, Israel, Korea, and Mexico. Don’t miss the super round starting on Friday, June 4th.

What is the final qualifier?

The top team from the Super Round will advance to the Olympic tournament, making them the 5th baseball team to earn a spot in the Olympics. The second and third place teams from the super round will then advance to the final qualifier in Taiwan where they will have another shot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, up against the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Australia.

All-Stars are on the North American Roster

The US roster is certainly made of all stars, but maybe not what you would expect. The United States Olympic qualifier roster does not feature any current major league players; however, the roster does include big names and top prospects.

Among the top prospects are young all-stars Simeon Woods-Richardson, 20, and Matthew Liberatore, 21. Former all-stars Matt Kemp, Todd Frazier, and Homer Bailey are also included in the roster.

Although rare, some phenomenal athletes manage to participate in the Olympics in two different sports, which could be the case with winter Olympic speed skating medalist, Eddy Alvarez. Alvarez is included in the squad for the baseball qualifier for the 2021 Olympics.