Shohei Ohtani confirms his participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has announced that he will play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The announcement was made on Monday night through their social media, generating great expectation among the fans.
Shohei Ohtani’s post
Team Japan will seek to repeat its success after obtaining the gold medal in the 2023 Classic. Ohtani was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, highlighting his memorable strikeout of his former Angels teammate, Mike Trout, in the last out of the decisive game against Team USA.
Ohtani returned to the mound last season after almost two years without pitching, following a second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament. In his Monday post, he did not specify whether he will pitch for Japan in the next tournament.
The WBC will begin on March 5th. Japan will be part of Group C, along with Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and Chinese Taipei. Team USA will be in Group B.
Team USA already has commitments from stars like Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and Paul Skenes, among others.
Ohtani comes to this announcement after winning his second consecutive World Series title with the Dodgers and receiving his fourth MVP award earlier this month.
