Mister Baseball’s European Top 50 rankings have been updated following the completion of the 2010 domestic seasons throughout Europe.

The rankings are produced by BBC Five Live Sports Extra presenter Josh Chetwynd.  Josh, of course, is a former Great Britain player and British baseball league veteran and his detailed ranking system is now in its fourth year. 

The 2010 National Baseball League champions, the Richmond Flames, are British baseball’s highest entrant at number 30, with Bracknell Blazers following in at 32.  The British pair are separated by MGPU S.Y.O.S. Moscow, which goes to show just how wide-ranging the rankings are.

Comparing teams over different leagues of varying standards is not an exact science and that’s fully acknowledged each time the revised rankings are published:

“The combination of country strength and individual team performance is intended to give a snapshot of European club play for a single year. These rankings do not attempt to offer a historic comparison of clubs and do not assert that a team ranked higher than another is a “better” team. Rather, a combination of performance and league strength reflects the ordering. We recognize that these rankings stir debate. In part, that’s their very purpose. We do not claim this list to be definitive”.

These rankings are always a fascinating read and are a great way to introduce MLB fans to the top teams in European baseball.  Well worth taking a look at.