Their triumph was confirmed after a 10-3 win over Australia in the final.

They lost just one of their nine games in the 12-team tournament - a 3-2 setback to Panama in the super round.

Japan have now moved onto 5,669 points after the tournament, which saw the award of the biggest number of rankings points this year.

The United States lie second in the standings on 4,928 points, with the gap to the number one ranked team having increased from 62 points to 741.

South Korea complete the top three on 4,823, after they triumphed 5-3 in the bronze medal match against Panama.

It equalled South Korea’s result from the Under-21 Baseball World Cup in 2014 and ensured their first medal at a WBSC World Championship-level event this year.

The standings rank a country's entire national team programme, from under-12 to professional level, in international competition over a four-year period.

The Under-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 Americas and Asia qualifiers, the European Baseball Championship and the South American Baseball Championship were among key events which have helped to update the rankings.

Mexico were one of the biggest movers on the ranking list, having risen two places to sixth after ending fifth at the Under-23 Baseball World Cup and third at the Under-18 qualifier.

Their performance saw them close in on Chinese Taipei and Cuba, who lie fourth and fifth in the standings.