Baseball & softball divisions set for the 2022 RBI World Series at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida

By | July 29, 2022

Twenty-four baseball and softball teams from across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Nicaragua have advanced to the 29th RBI World Series, the annual championship tournament of the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, which will be held at its official home, the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla.

The first week, beginning on Tuesday, August 2nd until Saturday, August 6th, will feature 16 baseball teams in both the Junior (ages 13-15) and Senior (ages 16-18) Divisions, with the Softball Division featuring eight teams (ages 19 and under) and operating Monday, August 8th until Saturday, August 13th.

The tournament will feature nearly 200 young athletes on RBI teams from 16 cities around the United States as well as Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and a team from Nicaragua for the first time ever. A total of six RBI programs (Nobu Yamauchi RBI, Chicago White Sox RBI, Puerto Rico RBI, Miami Marlins RBI, Cleveland Guardians RBI and Astros Foundation RBI) are sending two teams to the tournament. Additional notes can be found in the attached document.

The following is a complete list of cities (and leagues) represented in this year’s RBI World Series:

Junior Baseball Teams (Ages 13-15)

Durham Triple Play Long Ball RBI (Durham, NC.)

Williamsport RBI (Williamsport, Pa.)

Nobu Yamauchi RBI (Hilo, HI)

New Orleans Youth Academy RBI (New Orleans, La.)

Atlanta Braves RBI (Atlanta, Ga.)

Chicago White Sox RBI (Chicago, Il.)

Chicago Cubs RBI (Chicago, Il.)

Helping Kids Round First (Nicaragua)

Senior Baseball Teams (Ages 16-18)

Astros Foundation RBI (Houston, Texas)

Pittsburgh Pirates RBI (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Puerto Rico RBI - Aguadilla

Nobu Yamauchi RBI (Hilo, HI)

Chicago White Sox RBI (Chicago, Il.)

Miami Marlins RBI (Miami, Fla.)

Cleveland Guardians RBI (Cleveland, Ohio.)

Paterson Baseball Association RBI (Paterson, NJ.)

Softball Teams (Ages 19 and under)

Astros Foundation RBI (Houston, Texas)

Miami Marlins RBI (Miami, Fla.)

Michael Stepp RBI of Greater Harrisburg (Harrisburg, Pa.)

Los Angeles Dodgers “Dreamteam” RBI (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Hoboken RBI (Hoboken, NJ.)

Puerto Rico RBI -Aguadilla

Cincinnati Reds RBI (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Cleveland Guardians RBI (Cleveland, Ohio)

The baseball portion of the RBI World Series launches with Pool Play on Tuesday, August 2nd. As part of special off-field activities, baseball athletes will travel to Port St. Lucie to watch the Port St. Lucie Mets play on Thursday, August 4th. Playoff/elimination games will take place on Friday, August 5th. The Baseball Championship Games will be at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex’s Holman Stadium on Saturday, August 6th. A PLAY BALL event for local children will be hosted at the Training Complex on Saturday as well

Pool Play in the softball portion of the RBI World Series will begin on Monday, August 8th, with the Championship Game being held on Saturday, August, 13th. Additionally, MLB will announce the recipient of the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award presented by ARM & HAMMER, which will be awarded to the player who best embodies leadership characteristics. Finch, Olympic Gold Medalist and MLB Youth Softball Ambassador, will be on hand to make the special announcement.

The Senior Division Baseball Championship and Softball Championship games will stream LIVE on MLB.com. Former Major League Manager and current Coaching Development Consultant with Major League Baseball Bo Porter will call the game with youth baseball sensation and former RBI World Series Baseball Champion Mo’ne Davis joining as a sideline reporter for the baseball championship. Davis will provide color from the booth for the softball championship with Sande Charles serving as sideline reporter

The RBI program has provided a path for many players to enter the college and professional game. MLB Clubs have drafted more than 200 RBI participants throughout the program’s 33-year history, and many others have been given the opportunity for higher education through baseball and softball scholarships. There have been more than 100 RBI alumni selected between the 2013-2022 MLB Drafts.

RBI alumni who have appeared in the Major Leagues in 2022 include Jackie Bradley Jr. (Boston Red Sox), J.P. Crawford (Seattle Mariners), Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds), Mike Harris II (Atlanta Braves), Josh Harrison (Chicago White Sox), Eloy Jimenez (Chicago White Sox), Ramon Laureano (Oakland A’s), Bryan Lavastida (Cleveland Guardians), Nomar Mazara (San Diego Padres), Anthony Rendon (Los Angeles Angels), Dominic Smith (New York Mets), Dillon Tate (Baltimore Orioles), Alek Thomas (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Justin Upton (_free agent – previously with the Seattle Mariners_). Crawford (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI – ‘09), Green (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI – ’13), Jimenez (Dominican Republic RBI – ’12), Lavastida (Miami Marlins RBI – ’15), Mazara (Dominican Republic RBI – ‘11), and Smith (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI – ‘09) have each played in the RBI World Series.

The RBI program, which has served approximately 2 million young people since its inception, is administered by Major League Baseball and designed to give young people from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, while also encouraging academic achievement and success and teaching the value of teamwork and other important life lessons. RBI currently serves youth in over 200 programs in approximately 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $40 million worth of resources to the RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support RBI leagues. For more information about the RBI World Series, please visit MLB.com/rbiworldseries.

RBI World Series Team Notes – 2022