Little League World Series: Meet the 2026 teams headed to Williamsport - USA Today

The bracket for Williamsport is complete.

The 2026 Little League World Series is loaded with powerhouse teams and standout players ready for the spotlight.

From South Korea's dominant West Seoul squad to Canada's Little Mountain team, the International bracket is filled with contenders for the 2026 title. Add in Ohio, Alabama, Washington, Massachusetts, Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, and California representing the United States, and the stage is set for unforgettable drama in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Every regional winner fought through pressure-packed championship games just to earn this opportunity to end the summer as the Little League World Series champion.

Now that the 2026 LLWS bracket is set, the countdown is officially on until we have the next Little League World Series champion.

Here's everything to know about the 20 teams in contention for this year's LLWS title.

2026 Little League World Series US bracket teams

Great Lakes Region Champion

West Side Little League, based in Hamilton, Ohio, is one of the more decorated Little League teams arriving in Williamsport this year. The program has dominated Ohio competition for years and recently won its 23rd state Little League title this summer with a 4-3 win over Canfield Little League. West Side's Caiden Trent had the game-winning, walk-off, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to clinch the state title. You could call West Side LL the premier youth baseball program in Ohio and the team has the resume to back it up. At this year's Little League Midwest Region, West Side went 4-0 and had two shutouts along the way to the regional title. This year will be West Side's sixth LLWS appearance after the squad made previous trips in 1991, 1993, 2007, 2010 and 2021. Despite a ton of success before reaching Williamsport, West Side has an 8-9 record in its five previous LLWS appearances. If West Side can replicate its pre-Williamsport success while in Pennsylvania, it would be the first Ohio team to ever win the Little League World Series.

It's been a historic summer for Bayonne Central Little League (Bayonne, New Jersey). The Hudson County team from the north New Jersey area is going to Williamsport for the first time in the league's history. According to the Record of North Jersey, Bayonne Central LL is the 21st New Jersey charter across 15 different Little League charters in the Garden State to ever reach the global youth baseball tournament. Toms River East Little League, formerly Toms River East American Little League, was the last New Jersey team to go to Williamsport, in 2021. Bayonne Central defeated Darien Little League from Connecticut, 8-6, in the Metro Region Championship game to earn its spot in Williamsport. As far as LLWS championships, New Jersey has four titles already thanks to Hammonton Little League (1949), Toms River East Little League (1998), Wayne Little League (1970) and Lakewood Little League (1975). Will Bayonne Central continue this legacy with the state's fifth?

Mid-Atlantic Region Champion

East Side Little League, of West Chester Pennsylvania, is making its first Little League World Series appearance, but has the pitching and plate prowess to make a deep run in the tournament. East Side stormed through the Mid-Atlantic Region with three consecutive wins, outscoring their opponents 21-2. Pitchers Cole Warner and Ryan Donnelly combined for a 3-1 tournament championship victory against Naamans Little League of Wilmington, Delaware. With Warner also flashing power at the plate, East Side's offense has shown it has plenty of pop to support its strong starting rotation. West Chester is a roughly three-hour drive from Williamsport, so expect this team to have a raucous following as they move through play.