As domestic baseball clubs across the country prepared for the 2025 season, the British Baseball Federation (BBF) announced a series of Level 6 umpire courses aimed at growing the officiating workforce. By year’s end, 86 new Level 6 umpires had qualified, alongside 11 Level 5, 16 Level 4 and one Level 3 umpire certified through national evaluation events. This brought the total number of registered umpires in the national database to 208.
Investment at club level also continued, with a combined £6,490 awarded to three BBF-registered clubs. The Cornish Claycutters, Birmingham Baseball Club and the Greenwich Giants all received funding to support youth development. The grants enabled improvements including storage facilities, plans for a second diamond, new youth equipment and the development of a 10-12 age-group league, as well as a Women and Girls Programme in Greenwich.
February marked two significant milestones, with British Blind Baseball officially registering with the BBF and the BBF rejoining Baseball Softball UK (BSUK), taking an important step towards a future “One Organisation”.
In March, Drew Spencer stepped down as GB Senior Men Head Coach following the most successful sustained period in the programme’s history, including a European silver medal and a landmark victory over Colombia at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Glen Robertson was subsequently announced as National Teams Programme Official, having been involved with the programme since 2013.
The domestic season began in April, with a record 105 teams registered. Support from the WBSC also saw six “Girls in Baseball” Festivals announced across the country, further strengthening opportunities for women and girls to engage with the sport.
Bradley Marcelino was named the new Head Coach of GB Senior Men, while June brought European success at club level. The Essex Arrows made history by becoming the first British team to win the WBSC European Federations Cup, defeating Stockholm Monarchs 6-1 in the final. The London Mets secured qualification for the 2026 Federation Cup with a 12-5 victory over Kaunas County.
The summer months were dominated by international competition. In July, GB U12 reached the European Championship final in Hungary and earned promotion to A Pool. GB U15 followed suit in Trieste, securing A Pool status for the next championships after a strong recovery from an opening-day defeat.
August proved equally memorable. GB U23 staged a dramatic comeback to defeat hosts Czechia 9-7 in the European Championship final, securing their first-ever continental title. GB Women mirrored that success, defeating Czechia 9-7 in their own final after opening the tournament with a commanding win over France, and qualifying for the 2026 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.
Back in the UK, the domestic league concluded ahead of the September play-offs, while 18 teams from Great Britain and Ireland gathered at Farnham Park for the Summer Cup. Dublin Spartans claimed Gold, SWWBL secured Silver and the Fire Breathing Kittens took Bronze.
September saw GB prospect Harry Ford make his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners before later being traded to the Washington Nationals. The BBF play-offs also reached their conclusion, with Hurricanes, Milton Keynes Bucks, London Metros, Sheffield Bruins (Women) and London Mets crowned champions across the respective divisions. The Mets continued their dominance by winning a ninth consecutive NBL title, with the final streamed live on talkSPORT’s YouTube channel.
The GB Senior Men competed at the European Championships in Rotterdam under Marcelino for the first time, reaching the quarter-finals. Attention then turned to youth baseball, as the Margaret Borley Youth National Championships became the largest yet, featuring 32 teams across five divisions.
October concluded the competitive calendar with the Blind Baseball European Cup in Italy, where Great Britain claimed silver after reaching the final. The year ended with individual recognition for GB U23 Head Coach Jonathan Cramman, who was named 2025 EBCA Coach of the Year, alongside coaching appointments across the national programme and the drafting of Laura Hirai into the new Women’s Pro Baseball League.
Finally, the BBF announced the launch of an Emerging Players Programme in 2026, a joint initiative with Great Britain Baseball and BaseballSoftballUK, supported by Sport England. Pilot programmes for 11-15-year-olds will begin at the end of January, rounding off a landmark year for British baseball.