Top 10 2021 Tournaments

The top 10 8-13u tournaments for 2021 from all sanctioning bodies-big implications for the 2021 final national rankings.

2020 has been a tough year for tournament directors, travel baseball teams, facilities, and families.  Some very notable tournaments were postponed; for example, Cooperstown, NYBC, and the USSSA International World Series. We expect/hope we will back to normal in 2021 and the following highly competitive tournaments will go a long way in deciding the final 2021 National Rankings. This list is based on previous years, as well as current teams registered. With that being said, lets look at the top 10 expected travel baseball tournaments for 8-13u for 2021. Like all rankings...this list may be fluid depending on tournament turnout and how teams perform this year.
#10-Cooperstown Dreams Park-Cooperstown, NY
Overall, Cooperstown is a great experience for kids. It doesn't always scream top level competition, however, is deserving of mention in the top 10. Many great 12u players and teams play in the events, which run 13 weeks. The interesting part-we cannot definitively tell you which week will be the most competitive, because we don't know. Two years ago the top 2 12u teams in the country faced off in the championship game in Cooperstown. We know one or two of these tournaments will definitely have somewhat of an impact on the 12u rankings, but probably not until the championship game.
#9-NYBC, Baseball Heaven-Yaphank, NY
The NYBC is very competitive at 12u. It is televised which really gives kids, parents and coaches something to look forward to. The other age groups are decent, but mostly regional to the Northeast.  We think the 12u alone carries enough weight to get it ranked in the top 10. We look forward to seeing New York playing travel baseball again in 2021!
#8-Super Select, Grand Park-Indianapolis, IN
This tournament is a sneaky good one. Bullpen has several good tournaments throughout the year, but we scoured their website and discovered this one sticks out big time. What is particularly surprising-it is stacked with great teams in May, with only a 3-game guarantee. Many top ranked Midwest teams are converging on Westfield this weekend.
#7-Power Showcase National Championship, Marlins Park-Miami, Florida
For the first time in amateur baseball history, a tournament and National Championship will be played in a Major League Stadium. The prestigious Power Showcase World Classic will be hosting the pro series at Marlins Park in August 2021. This 4 game minimum tournament will feature twelve of the top 13u travel teams in the country. Originally scheduled for 2020-and postponed due to Covid-19, the 12u event had some of the best teams in the Country expected to participate. The Power Showcase is an unbelievable event; think Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, and Blaze Jordan! We have every reason to believe this will be one of the top events for 2021.
#6-USSSA Wilson/Demarini Elite World Series, Space Coast Complex-Viera, Florida
Hear us out on this one. The USSSA Elite 32 has always been the Mecca for travel baseball 9-12u, however, there have been some major developments in the last few years. It will still be a very good field of teams, however, many of the better teams down south and out west(Cali) are opting for the top level PG events. With the selection process not being as stringent as it was in years past(more than 32 teams allowed)we put this tournament at #6. This could change, but think it is an appropriate spot for now and going into 2021.
#5-TBR World Series, Action Sports Center-Dayton, OH
Say What??? Many people may think it is crazy to put this one ahead of the USSSA Elite World Series, but listen to the rationale and compare the teams in each tournament. This is the top overall Midwest Tournament and one of the top in the Country.  It boasts 55+ top 5 teams from 11 different states in the Midwest/Northeast. There are truly no breaks in pool or bracket play from 8-13u. It will be one of the best in the country for overall competitiveness.
#4-PG Super Regional-Houston, TX
This one is a monster tournament! Last year it was a USSSA tournament and was one of the best in the Country. It had a huge impact on the final rankings for 2020. The former tournament director from USSSA Texas, has since moved to Perfect Game (taking all those teams with him). With the addition of some more excellent teams, we expect this tournament to be near the top again for 2021.
#3-USSSA International World Series,  Southern California, California
This tournament did not run last year due to Covid-19, but in 2019 was one of the best in the Country. We expect all the best from California to go to this event, just as they did two years ago when it had a huge impact on the final TBR rankings. We expect no different in 2021 and hope they are playing baseball again soon in California!
#2-PG World Series-East Cobb, GA/Sanford,Florida
At 13u this is the #1 tournament, however, the competitiveness an exclusiveness of our number #1 tournament for other ages put this one right on the cusp of the number #1 ranked tournament in the country. 9-12u will be off the charts here too, just not quite enough to earn that #1 spot. All of the PG World Series events will have a big impact on the final TBR rankings for 2021.
#1-PGI National Championship-Sanford, FL
The top 8-12u teams in the country will be playing in this one. It is an invite only with all the top teams attending. PG is only taking the top 48 teams, making this one of the most grueling and challenging tournaments in the country. Many top 10 ranked 2019 and 2020 teams are in the PG National Championship. We expect this tournament to have a huge impact on the final 2021 rankings.

That concludes the top 10 rankings for the most competitive tournaments in 2021. If your team is one of these tournaments, excellent job and good luck!