“Spare Me as the Fifth!” — Hiroto Saiki Left Off WBC Roster, Hanshin’s Hidden Strategy Revealed

Even after shutting down the Dodgers’ lineup

The final “Samurai” for the WBC, starting March 5, has finally been decided. On February 4, NPB announced that Masataka Yoshida (32) of the Red Sox had been selected for the Japanese national team.

This Samurai Japan roster includes Yoshida, as well as Shohei Ohtani (31) and Yusuke Yamamoto (27) of the Dodgers, plus other Major League stars active in the U.S. At the same time, some notable players were left out.

Tatsuya Imai (27), who will play for the Astros this year via posting, declined to participate to prioritize his family. Shota Imanaga (32) of the Cubs and Kodai Senga (33) of the Mets were not selected due to underperformance in the latter half of the season.

Other talented players who shone in NPB last season, such as Shinya Matsuyama (25) of the Chunichi Dragons, the Central League’s saves leader, were also omitted.

“Indeed, not selecting Imanaga or Senga due to form was a blow to Samurai Japan. As for Imai, manager Hirokazu Ibatadidn’t rate him highly, and apparently he wasn’t expected to be used as a primary pitcher.

The surprise was that Hiroto Saiki (27) of Hanshin wasn’t chosen. Saiki is a tall pitcher (189 cm) with a powerful overhand fastball and a sharp forkball. Last year, in a preseason game before the MLB season opener at Tokyo Dome, he faced the Dodgers’ lineup for five scoreless innings, striking out seven,” said an NPB insider.

Saiki has long expressed ambitions to challenge himself in the Major Leagues. This WBC would have been a chance to showcase his talent.

“Rumor has it that Hanshin was reluctant to allow a fifth player from their team to be called up. The teams with the most selections were Hanshin (Teruaki Sato, Shota Morishita, Seishiro Sakamoto, Daichi Ishii) and SoftBank (Kensuke Kondo, Taisei Makihara, Yusuke Shuto, Yuki Matsumoto). Sato was picked for his batting power, Morishita for his overall fielding ability, Sakamoto for his catcher leadership, and Ishii for his record as a reliever.

However, Hanshin reportedly told the Samurai Japan side indirectly: ‘Five from our team is too much. There must be pitchers like Saiki already.’”

Hanshin needed Saiki in their starting rotation as the team’s second pitcher to achieve consecutive league championships. Preparing earlier than usual and throwing with the WBC ball—which is slicker than the official NPB ball—could risk disrupting his form. If a pitcher of Saiki’s caliber falters, it would directly affect the team’s performance.

There is a possibility that Saiki could be added to replace Kaima Taira (26) of Seibu, who may withdraw due to a muscle injury, but in terms of type, Matsuyama might be more suitable, according to a Hanshin alumnus.

For the players left out, the only way to vent their frustration is on the field during the season.