S. Korea ranks 3rd in updated world baseball standings

South Korea has solidified its No. 3 place in the world's new official baseball rankings, narrowing the gap with the United States, according to a related global organization on Saturday.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) updated the list based on the four-year performances through 2016 of 70 countries' entire national teams from U-12 to professional.

South Korea maintained its third place but "advanced within striking distance of the No. 2 spot, closing the distance behind the U.S. from 641 to 105 points," said the WBSC. 

It cited South Korea's winning of a bronze at the U-23 Baseball World Cup that ended in Mexico early this month.

South Korea also gained points with a third-place finish at the

U-18 Asia Championship, which qualified the nation for the U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017, it added.

Japan continued to lead the standings, followed by the U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, the Netherlands and Italy. (Yonhap)