Yamamoto to Lead Japanese Rotation Against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic
MIAMI.— Japan has confirmed that Yoshinobu Yamamoto, their star pitcher, will be the starting pitcher for the crucial matchup against Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The game will take place on Saturday at loanDepot park in Miami. The announcement was made by the Japanese manager, Hirokazu Ibata, during a team training session. Ibata highlighted the importance of this match, which will define the passage to the semifinals of the tournament.Ibata expressed his full confidence in Yamamoto, noting that the pitcher will have no special restrictions, beyond those established by the championship regulations. Yamamoto already participated in the tournament, opening Japan’s first game against Chinese Taipei. In that encounter, he pitched 2.2 innings without allowing runs or hits, accumulating two strikeouts and three walks. Japan reaches this stage after dominating the group stage with a perfect 4-0 record, demonstrating a solid performance both offensively and in collective pitching. Regarding the possibility of using Yusei Kikuchi as a reliever for Yamamoto, Ibata preferred not to give details about the bullpen strategy. Japan, with one of the strongest rotations in the tournament, will seek to advance to the semifinals and continue its defense of the world title.“There really is no limit. I think he’ll just go out there and throw everything from the start. Of course, we hope he can work as deep into the game as possible,”,
Hirokazu Ibata
