Finally entering his prime…! Shohei Ohtani to participate in the WBC with “peak physical condition” to become the world’s No. 1 player for the second consecutive tournament.

The Next Samurai Japan

I think I’m at my peak physically, in terms of how I respond to training.

On November 26, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (31) responded to an online interview with the media, and his words exuded confidence and determination. On November 25, Ohtani announced that he would participate in the WBC to be held in March next year.

He had positioned this season as a “rehabilitation season,” but by the end of it, he had hit 55 home runs and pitched well in the postseason. Because of this, it was feared that he might withdraw from the WBC in favor of recovering from fatigue.
Hirokazu Ibata (50) and the other leaders of the Samurai Japan team must have been relieved. The fact that Otani will play in the tournament should motivate other major leaguers such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27) and Akinori Sasaki (24), who are also members of the Dodgers.

Shota Imanaga, 32, of the Cubs and Kota Senga, 32, of the Mets, who are expected to be part of the starting pitching lineup for Yamamoto and Samurai Japan, have both been injured this season, and there have been whispers that they may withdraw from the WBC. However, if the three Dodgers players who fought until the final stages of the season are going to leave, Imanaga and Senga may also decide to participate.

Major leaguers tend to be vulnerable to falling pitches, so NPB pitchers with a fork or split as a decisive pitch, such as Nihon Ham’s Hiromi Ito (28), Hanshin’s Hiroto Saiki (27), and Chunichi’s Hiroto Takahashi (23), should be candidates for the starting lineup. Orix’s Daiya Miyagi (24) and Seibu’s Chikichiro Sumida (26) are also valuable left-handers who can pitch long innings. Relief pitchers will include Shinya Matsuyama (25) of Chunichi, Masataka Oikawa (24) of Hanshin, Kazuki Sugiyama (27) of Softbank, and Kaiba Taira (26) of Seibu, all of whom have power with a straight line. There is enough power in the lineup to avoid putting a burden on Otani,” said sportswriter Nachi Tomonari.

With a full lineup, the pitching staff will be even stronger than in the previous tournament. And the same goes for the fielders.

The road to back-to-back WBC titles

If we can create a flow with Ohtani batting first, have Seiya Suzuki (31) of the Cubs, Teruaki Sato (27) of the Hanshin, Kazuma Okamoto (29), who has applied for posting, and Munetaka Murakami (25) of the Hanshin hit up the middle and return runners, and have Shugo Maki (27) of DeNA function as a terrifying lower batting lineup, we have a good chance against the top pitching in the majors. If DeNA’s Shugo Maki (27) and the rest of the lineup can function as a formidable bottom of the order, they will have a chance against the best pitchers in the Majors. Okamoto and Murakami will be in their first year in the majors next season, and Masanao Yoshida (Red Sox, 32) also played in the last tournament despite being in his first year in the majors, so they should be able to play depending on their own will.

However, the road to back-to-back WBC championships will be more difficult than in the previous tournament. The U.S. team, whose superstars such as Aaron Judge (33) of the Yankees and Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Paul Skeens (23) have expressed their desire to participate one after another, and the Dominican Republic, whose main gun Bradimir Guerrero Jr. (26) of the Blue Jays, which embarrassed the Dodgers in the World Series, are among those who have expressed their desire to participate. (26), the Blue Jays’ starter, who has been a thorn in the side of the Dodgers in the World Series, may surpass Japan in terms of overall strength.

Assuming a rematch with the U.S. team in the finals, the key will be the Dominican game before that. If ace left-hander Christopher Sanchez (Phillies 28) is bumped, it will be important to see how well Ohtani, the leadoff hitter, can break him down and give the team momentum.

In the final against the U.S., Japan will have the mental advantage, as they have vivid memories of winning the previous tournament. In international competitions, this mental difference is surprisingly large,” said Tomonari.

Otani, who is aware that he is at the peak of his physical prowess, should reach the peak of his career next year by further refining his power that does not lose to fastballs and his reflexes that can handle top-notch breaking pitches with ease.

In the finals for the world championship, Ohtani will hit a 100 mph pitch from the ace of the intergalactic team into the stands. I can’t help but get excited when I imagine such a development.

From the December 19 and 26, 2025 issue of FRIDAY