Samurai Japan’s Key Players for Pitching and Hitting Revealed

FRIDAY reporters visiting the Miyazaki training camp were impressed by the dynamism of these four key players:

Daiki Miyagi (24, Orix): Miyagi first entered the Miyazaki bullpen on February 15. Each time he threw a strong pitch, he and advisor Yu Darvish checked the data displayed on a tablet. Having experienced a world championship in the previous WBC, Miyagi was identified by manager Hirokazu Ibata as a key left-handed pitcher for this tournament. After watching him pitch, Ibata praised him, saying, “His gear is up. He’s hitting the spots the catcher sets up for.”

A three-quarter delivery allows Miyagi’s 150 km/h fastball to bite into the knees of right-handed batters, while his slider and changeup follow trajectories unfamiliar even to Major League left-handers. His slow curveball can also disrupt timing. He is expected to perform as the team’s second starter.

Atsuki Taneichi (27): Miyagi was astonished by Taneichi when he entered the bullpen the same day. Watching Taneichi pitch, Miyagi kept checking the tablet, exclaiming, “I heard his forkball is incredible. I was looking at the numbers, and it’s insane.” The manager shares this admiration, noting the forkball’s varied drop and hinting that it could trouble Major League hitters, just as Shosei Togoh struck out Mike Trout with his forkball in the previous tournament.

Shota Morishita (25): Highlighted by former 2009 WBC chief scorer Yasuhiro Mitsui, Morishita leveraged the core strength he built with medicine ball training to hammer balls during batting practice. In the February 22 practice game, he went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and four RBIs, showing a glimpse of “awakening” on the international stage. During camp, he took grounders at left, center, and right, preparing to confidently handle any outfield position assigned to him.

Shugo Maki (27): Morishita’s senior from Chuo University, Maki, spent much of the previous tournament on the bench but will serve as the starting second baseman this time. His greatest asset is his ability to energize the team as a mood-maker.

Kenya Wakatsuki (30): The candidate for starting catcher praised Maki, noting, “He keeps the atmosphere bright and positive.” During on-field drills, Maki was the loudest in calling plays, helping to give the Samurai Japan batting lineup both momentum and confidence.

These four players are shaping up as the key contributors in both offense and defense for Samurai Japan in the upcoming WBC.