After clinching the World Series title, Shohei Ohtani is gearing up for another championship run this summer.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Manager Hirokazu Ibata shared that Ohtani will be joining Dodgers teammate and current World Series MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, on the Japanese national team for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
It’s worth noting that another Japanese player on the Dodgers, Roki Sasaki, wasn’t selected for the team.
At this point, it’s unclear whether Ohtani will pitch during the tournament. The event kicks off on March 6 in Tokyo with Japan facing Taiwan, the defending champions.
Ibata mentioned, “He hasn’t participated in spring training yet. I think it will be decided after I pitch.”
During the 2023 tournament, Ohtani pitched in two games and, notably, struck out Mike Trout in the final against the United States, where he delivered a shutout.
Concerns were raised about Yamamoto’s participation due to his heavy postseason workload; he started two games in the World Series and pitched a shutout in Game 7 without any rest.
Describing Yamamoto, Ibata referred to him as “Japan’s ace.”
The roster for Japan is impressive, featuring eight major leaguers— a record number. Alongside the two Dodgers, the team includes left-handers Yusei Kikuchi from the Angels and Hiroki Matsui from the Padres, right-hander Tomoyuki Kanno, infielders Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays) and Munetaka Murakami (White Sox), and outfielder Seiya Suzuki from the Cubs.
Known as Samurai Japan, the team is set to begin its training camp in Miyazaki on February 14, coinciding with many MLB teams’ spring training schedules. Ibata anticipates major leaguers will join the squad in Nagoya for exhibition games against the Chunichi Dragons on February 27 and 28.
Japan has claimed three of the last five WBC championships, showcasing their talent in previous tournaments with names like Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006 and Sasaki in 2023 being highlights.
The squad also boasts promising talent like right-handed pitcher Hiroto Takahashi from the Dragons and slugger Teru Sato of the Hanshin Tigers.
