The field is set, and the Little League World Series is set to get underway once again from Williamsport on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Every year, this is one of the purest events on the American sports calendar, one that produces breakout characters who capture hearts around the country. What does this year's edition have in store?
Only time will tell, but that doesn't mean we can't do some preparation in advance. Here's everything you need to know about the teams that made it into the field, as well as the full bracket and path to the championship game in less than two weeks time.
2026 Little League World Series bracket
The Little League World Series features 20 teams in total — 10 from the United States and 10 from around the world. Those 20 teams are divided into two brackets, with the winners of each bracket meeting in the championship game.
United States bracket
Here's how the U.S. bracket sets up to start, with all eight teams squaring off in opening-round play beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
- Game 2: Northwest (Tacoma, Wash.) vs. Southeast (Phenix City, Ala.)
- Game 4: New England (Bridgewater, Mass.) vs. Metro (Bayonne, NJ)
- Game 6: Great Lakes (Hamilton, Ohio) vs. Mountain (Henderson, Nev.)
- Game 8: West (Bonita, Calif.) vs. Midwest (Davenport, Iowa)
- Game 10: Game 2 winner vs. Southwest (Boerne, Tex.)
- Game 12: Game 4 winner vs. Mid-Atlantic (West Chester, Penn.)
The bracket operates under a double-elimination format: The winners of the opening round of games will advance to the winner's bracket, while the losers will drop down to the loser's bracket. The winners and losers brackets will run parallel to each other until there are only two teams remaining.
International bracket
Here's how the international bracket looks, with all eight teams squaring off in opening-round play beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 19. The format is the same as the U.S. bracket, with a winners and losers bracket and double elimination.
- Game 1: Latin America (Leon, Nicaragua) vs. Caribbean (Santiago, Dominican Republic)
- Game 3: Canada (Vancouver, BC) vs. Asia-Pac
- Game 5: Australia (Sydney, New South Wales) vs. Mexico (Tijuana, Baja California)
- Game 7: Japan (Tokyo) vs. Curaçao (Pariba)
- Game 9: Game 1 winner vs. Panama (ChiriquÃ)
- Game 11: Game 3 winner vs. Europe-Africa (Brno, Czechia)
United States teams at the 2026 Little League World Series
Great Lakes Region: Hamilton, Ohio (West Side Little League)
The dynasty is back. This is the sixth time that West Side Little League is sending a team to Williamsport, as Hamilton — just 20 miles north of Cincinnati — has become one of the most consistent producers of youth talent in the region. They romped through the Great Lakes Region tournament undefeated, but for all their dominance over the years, they've still never won it all — in fact, no team from Ohio ever has.
Metro Region: Bayonne, NJ (Bayonne Central Little League)
New Jersey has been a quiet Little League power over the years, sending a team to Williamsport six times since 2010 and winning the overall tournament four times. Most of that success has come courtesy of the factory in Toms River, though. Bayonne is the new kid on the block, making their first LLWS appearance in 2026 after a perfect 3-0 record in the Metro Region tournament.
Mid-Atlantic Region: West Chester, Penn. (East Side Little League)
Only California has more LLWS appearances than Pennsylvania over the years, but this will be the first time for the kids from West Chester — a borough just west of Philadelphia. Only three hours or so by car from Williamsport, you can expect a serious home-field advantage.
Midwest Region: Davenport, Iowa (Davenport Northwest Little League)
Iowa has been represented in Williamsport 16 times, and fully half of them have been thanks to Davenport in some form or another. Davenport Southeast made the LLWS back in 2022, but this time it's Northwest which will making its first appearance since back-to-back runs in 2004 and 2005.
Mountain Region: Henderson, Nev. (Paseo Verde Little League)
Nevada is a burgeoning hotbed of young baseball talent: They hadn't even appeared in the LLWS since 2014, but this year will mark their fourth straight in Williamsport — three of which have come courtesy of Paseo Verde.
New England Region: Bridgewater, Mass. (Bridgewater Joe Lazardo Little League)
Massachusetts didn't make the LLWS once between 2009 and 2022, but now they're back for the second year in a row, as the kids from Bridgewater are making their maiden voyage after running through the New England Region with a perfect 3-0 record.
Northwest Region: Tacoma, Wash. (Soundview Little League)
As if a Tacoma team making its city's first LLWS appearance weren't easy enough to root for, coach Mark Landry made a promise to his team in their regional tournament that he'd either paint his nails or shave his beard if they kept on winning. They haven't slowed down since, forcing Landry to keep changing it up.
Southeast Region: Phenix City, Ala. (Phenix City Youth Baseball Little League)
Head coach Case Rasmus watched his older brothers and his dad win the U.S. title back in 1999. Now he's made it himself, in large part thanks to his niece Kinley — who is set to become the 25th female to ever play at Williamsport after pitching a shutout in the Southeast Region championship game.
Southwest Region: Boerne, Tex. (Boerne Little League)
Boerne's path to Williamsport was winding, to say the least. But they're here all the same after a 4-1 win in the title game over Louisiana and looking to make some noise.
West Region: Bonita, Calif. (Sweetwater Valley Little League)
With a roster full of kids with families who played pro ball, it should come as no surprise that Bonita rampaged through the West Region. This is an offensive powerhouse, and their 11-3 win over Hawaii in the title game is proof of their ability to win it all if their bats get hot.
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