The Philippines national baseball team, () also referred to as "The Dreamers", represents the Philippines in international matches and tournaments. It is organized by the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association.
They were the inaugural champions of the Asian Baseball Championships in 1954, but finished fourth in seven of the next eight editions of the biennial events.
Since their last fourth-place finish in 1973, the national team has struggled to compete against top level Asian national teams, such as those of Japan, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea.
At the Southeast Asian level, the Philippines are a four-time SEA Games gold medalist. (2005, 2011, 2019, 2025) The only time they ended as silver medalists was in the 2007 edition, where they lost to Thailand in the final.
History
Early history
Baseball has a long history in the Philippines, with the sport's introduction in the islands dating back in September 1899. The Philippines, along with the Republic of China, and Japan frequently fielded teams in the baseball tournament of the Far Eastern Championship Games prior to World War II. The team from the 1920s to the 1930s was considered as a baseball power in Asia.
Post-World War II At the sidelines of the 1954 Asian Games, the Philippines and other countries established in the Baseball Federation of Asia.
At the inaugural 1954 Asian Baseball Championship, the Philippines finished in first place. The team won 8–1 against Japan in the final and was led by head coach and manager Mariano Saberon.
The 1950s to the 1970s, the Philippines experienced a "golden age" in baseball. Until the 1971, the Philippines finished either third or fourth in seven of the eight Asian Baseball Championship editions held during that period. The tournaments were typically dominated by Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan (later competing as Chinese Taipei). The Philippines' last podium finish of this era was in 1971, when the team placed third.
2000s
The Philippines participated in the 2003 Asian Baseball Championship, which also served as a qualifier for the 2004 Summer Olympics, placing fifth. The national team won the inaugural baseball tournament at the 2005 SEA Games at home.
In November 2006, the Philippines competed in the Intercontinental Cup but failed to win a match in nine games; their best result was a 5–1 loss against South Korea in the seventh-place game. At the 2006 Asian Games, the team finished last in a field of six, though they performed competitively, scoring nine runs over five contests.
During the preliminary round of the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship, the Philippines remained undefeated, securing wins against Pakistan (2–0) and Hong Kong (4–1) before drawing with Thailand. Before the final round of the Asian Championship resumed, the Philippines attempted to defend their title at the 2007 SEA Games but suffered a close 5–4 defeat to Thailand, who emerged as champions. In the Asian Baseball Championship final round, the Philippines went winless against the "Big Three" Asian teams: Japan, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei.
Based on their performance at the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship, the team qualified for the "A" round of the subsequent tournament, where they faced Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia.
2010s
By 2010, the national team was inactive due to administrative and financial challenges within the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA), including internal leadership disputes. To address these issues, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Peping Cojuangco appointed Marty Eizmendi to mediate the situation. Recognizing the team's historical potential, the POC urged PABA to assemble a squad for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.
The two organizations cooperated to hold open tryouts—the first in decades—to select the national team members. The resulting team captured the gold medal at the 2011 SEA Games, defeating host Indonesia 3–1 in the final.
In 2012, the Philippines participated in the qualifiers for the 2013 World Baseball Classic but did not advance. Following the death of long-time PABA president Hector Navasero in late 2013, Marty Eizmendi was elected as the new president. The association continued to grapple with financial and management difficulties during this transition.
The team successfully defended its regional standing by winning the 2015 East Asia Cup in Jakarta with a 10–0 victory over Indonesia. This win qualified them for the 2015 Asian Baseball Championship; however, the team withdrew from the continental tournament citing financial constraints, allowing the runner-up Indonesia to participate instead.
In February 2016, the team competed in the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifiers under American manager Tim Hulett. For the 2017 Asian Baseball Championship, the roster was primarily composed of collegiate players from SCUAA and UAAP, managed by Egay delos Reyes.
The team concluded the decade by retaining the gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, continuing their reign after the sport's eight-year absence from the regional meet.
2020s Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines national team did not compete in international tournaments from 2020 to 2022. The team returned to action in May 2023 by participating in the East Asia Baseball Cup. Under manager Orlando Binaraohttps://tiebreakertimes.com.ph/tbt/philippines-secures-bfa-east-asian-cup-four-peat/271162, the team swept the tournament and defeated Hong Kong 10–2 in the final to capture their fifth title in history.
This victory qualified the team for the 2025 Asian Baseball Championship held in Fuzhou, China, where they faced strong competition from Japan and China in the group stage. The team finished the tournament in sixth place overall.
In December 2025, the team competed in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Now coached by Orlando Binarao, the Philippines swept the elimination round with a 6–0 record, highlighted by a 10-inning walk-off victory (8–7) against host Thailand and a shutout win over Laos. In the gold medal match, the team defeated Thailand again 5–3 to secure a perfect 7–0 tournament sweep, extending their reign as regional champions for a third consecutive contested edition.
Notable players during this period include pitcher Junmar Diarao, infielder Lord Aragorn de Vera, and outfielder Carlos Alberto Muñoz, who were key contributors to the team's resurgence.
Medal count EventEditions1st edition TotalNotesTot. World Baseball Classic 0 0 0 0 0 World Cup 1 2001 0 0 0 0 WBSC Premier12 0 0 0 0 0 Intercontinental Cup 1 2006 0 0 0 0 Olympic Games 0 0 0 0 0 Asian Baseball Championship 27 1954 1 0 2 3 Asian Baseball Cup 2 1995 2 0 0 2 East Asian Baseball Cup 5 2012 5 0 0 5 Asian Games 4 1998 0 0 0 0 Far Eastern Games 10 1913 6 4 0 10 Southeast Asian Games 5 2005 4 1 0 5
International tournament results World Baseball Classic
Qualification recordYearRoundPosition 2006 Did not enter No qualifiers held 2009 2013 Did not qualify 1 2 14 28 2017 0 2 8 28 2023 Did not enter Did not enter 2026Total-0/6----142256 OpponentTournaments metW-L recordLargest victoryLargest defeatCurrent streakScoreTournamentScoreTournament10-1–11–1 (F/7)Australia 2017L110-1–16–0 (F/7)Taiwan 2013L120-2–16–7 (F/8)Australia 2017L211-08–2Taiwan 2013–W1Overall21–4Against Against L48–2Taiwan 201316–0 (F/7)Taiwan 2013
Asian Championships
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place
Asian Baseball Championship Year Round Position 1954 Round robin Champions - - - - - 1955 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1959 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1962 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1963 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1965 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1967 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1969 Round robin 3rd Place - - - - - 1971 Round robin 3rd Place - - - - - 1973 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 1975 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 1983 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 1985 Did not participate 1987 Did not participate 1989 Round robin 6th Place - - - - - 1991 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 1993 Round robin 6th Place - - - - - 1995 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 1997 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 1999 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 2001 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 2003 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 2005 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 2007 Round robin 4th Place - - - - - 2009 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 2012 Round robin 5th Place - - - - - 2015 Withdrew 2017 Bronze Match 4th Place 7 2 5 23 75 2019 Consolation 5th Place 5 4 1 31 13 2023 Bronze Match 4th Place 6 2 4 22 32 2025 Placement 6th Place 5 2 3 24 34Total1 TitleChampion
Asian Games
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place
Asian Games Record Year Round Position 1994 Did not participate 1998 Preliminary 5th Place 4 1 3 - - 2002 Preliminary 5th Place 4 0 4 - - 2006 Round robin 6th Place 5 0 5 - - 2010 Did not participate 2014 2018 2022 Placement 5th Place 5 3 2 - -Total0 Titles5th Place
Other tournaments Asian Baseball Cup
Asia Baseball Cup Year Round Position 1995 - Champions - - - - - 1997 - 7th Place - - - - - 1999 - Champions - - - - - 2001 -No Info 2002 -No Info 2004 -No Info 2006 -No Info 2009 -Did not enter 2010 -Did not enter Eastern Division 2012 - Champions - - - - - 2015 - Champions - - - - - 2017 - Champions - - - - - 2020 -Cancelled 2023 - Champions 7 7 0 86 8 2024 - Champions 5 5 0 65 10Total7 TitlesChampions
SEA Games SEA Games Year Round Position 2005 Finals Champions 6 6 0 95 6 2007 Round Robin Runners up 5 4 1 56 6 2011 Finals Champions 5 5 0 35 2 2019 Finals Champions 5 5 0 75 5 2025 Finals Champions 7 7 0 96 14 Total 4 Titles Champions 28 27 1 357 33
Far Eastern Championships Far Eastern Championship Games Year Round Position 1913 - Runners upNo Info 1915 - ChampionsNo Info 1917 - Runners upNo Info 1919 - ChampionsNo Info 1921 - ChampionsNo Info 1923 - ChampionsNo Info 1925 - ChampionsNo Info 1927 - Runners upNo Info 1930 - Runners upNo Info 1934 - ChampionsNo InfoTotal6 TitlesChampions
Technical staff
Current technical staff PositionName Manager Orlando Binarao First Base Coach Ricardo Jiminez Third Base Coach Romar Landicho Pitching Coach Joseph Orillana Managerial history Regino Ylanan (1921–1923) Juan Taduran (1930) Mariano Saberon (1954) Eladio Baradas (2001) Edgar "Egay" Delos Reyes (2005, 2007, 2011) Jim Ramos (2012) Tim Hulett (2016) Edgar "Egay" Delos Reyes (2017) Orlando Binarao (2019, 2022–2023) Vince Sagisi (2024) Orlando Binarao (2025–present)
Current roster
See also Philippines women's national baseball team
References
External links