Good news for baseball fans: Shohei Ohtani announces he will play for Japan in the 2026 WBC
The Japanese superstar revealed that he will feature for his national team in the upcoming 2026 WBC.
Baseball’s two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani has confirmed he will once again wear the Japanese colours for the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic. As with everything in the modern world, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar made the announcement via social media, expressing his excitement and gratitude to represent his home country once more.
Ohtani first sparkled on the WBC stage in 2023, delivering a performance for the ages. Not only did he help Japan clinch the title, he was named tournament MVP.
His 2025 season has only reinforced his standing as perhaps baseball’s most dominant figure. After finally recovering from elbow surgery, he returned to the mound in June and quickly got back into his groove both pitching and batting.
Ohtani’s astonishing record
The staggering consistency of his mouth-watering performances in the States saw him deservedly capture his fourth MVP award and helped the Dodgers win their second straight World Series, becoming one of MLB’s most dominant rosters of all time.
Across the tournament, the 31-year-old batted .435 with one home run, eight RBIs and a 1.345 OPS in seven games. On the other side of the coin, he went 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts in three outings, including closing out the title game. Of course.
Despite his strong form, it remains unclear whether Ohtani will play as a two-way player for Japan this time around. He has not confirmed whether he will both pitch and bat, and his club commitments with the Dodgers may influence the decision.
Your reigning #WorldBaseballClassic MVP plans on running it back!
— MLB (@MLB) November 25, 2025
Shohei Ohtani says he will play for Team Japan in 2026 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/G8ZsLMj8kU
Team Japan begins its 2026 WBC campaign in Pool C, with opening games scheduled for March 6 at Tokyo Dome. Their group rivals will include Taipei, South Korea, Australia, and the Czech Republic. The quarter-finals will be played in Houston and Miami, and the semi-finals and final are set for Miami.
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