Top Scorer Yasuhiro Mitsui and Munehiro Shida Discuss What Must Be Done to Beat America WBC Full Special Feature
Special Talk [Part 1
What is a scorer?
——Yasuhiro Mitsui participated as a scorer for Samurai Japan in the 2nd WBC in ’09, and Munehiro Shida in the 4th WBC in ’17. Could you explain again the role of a scorer in international tournaments?
Shida: Simply put, our job is to collect and analyze the information necessary to win, and then share it with the coaching staff and players. In NPB, team scorers often give advice tailored to each player, but in the WBC, the players’ skill level is so high that we mainly raise awareness for the team as a whole and then let them interpret it for themselves.
Mitsui: I see it the same way. For example, in the first game against Korea in ’09, what I told the fielders was, “Target their strong pitches.” The starting pitcher, Kim Kwang-hyun, was a left-hander who relied on his slider and had dominated Japan’s national team under Senichi Hoshino in the Beijing Olympics. Many players still remembered his sharply breaking slider, and when I joined as a scorer, I was told, “Aim for his fastball, don’t swing at sliders!” But I thought, “You guys couldn’t hit the fastball before.”
So when Manager Tatsunori Hara asked me, “Mitsu, have you thought about how to attack Kim?” I replied, “Give me just one game in the preliminaries. I’ll have everyone focus on his sliders.” We scored eight runs in two innings off a pitcher who had been untouchable, knocking him out. I devised the strategy, but the players executed it. I thought, “Wow, Samurai Japan is amazing!”
In the semifinal against the U.S., we noticed pitcher Roy Oswalt’s habits. Ichiro said, “This pitcher is tough,” but even at the set position, the visibility of his right hand changed depending on the pitch type. At that day’s meeting, I started with, “Guys, this pitcher has a habit,” and everyone was skeptical. But when I showed the slow-motion footage, they all laughed, saying, “It’s true!”
A master strategist’s plan!
——This Samurai Japan team has stars on par with 2009, or perhaps even more. If you two were serving as scorers, how would you deploy the players?
Shida: In the end, I think no one wants to face Shohei Ohtani. So instead of swinging for base hits, he’ll often reach first via walks. If left-handed batters are hitting near the top of the order, facing a left-handed pitcher could be tough. I’d arrange the top three in a zigzag pattern: Ohtani first, Seiya Suzuki second, Kensuke Kondo third.
The issue is third base. Kaito Kozono at short has some defensive concerns, and if Munetaka Murakami plays third, the defense between short and third could be a bit unstable. Kazuma Okamoto or Teruaki Sato are more reliable defensively, but leaving Murakami out is hard to consider. Hitting can be unpredictable, but defensive mistakes can be critical. For example, if Murakami is at third, you could put Sosuke Genda at short; if Kozono plays short, third could be Sato. I think they’ll try various combinations in the first round.
Mitsui: Regarding batting, the key players in this tournament are Ohtani, Seiya, and Masataka Yoshida. We rely on their hitting, but they also act as scorers. They’re used to Major League data analysis and can share insights about opposing pitchers’ tendencies with the fielders, aligning the lineup’s awareness, which is crucial.
——How about pitcher deployment? While there are Major Leaguers like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, relievers and closer candidates Daichi Ishii, Kaima Taira, and Yuki Matsui all had to withdraw due to injuries.
Shida: Starters are fine, but the closer role is tricky. Taisei Oosei is one candidate since he’s been a closer, but I think Hiromi Ito will ultimately handle it. He has diverse pitches and is confident.
Major League hitters do hit many long balls, but many accept swings and misses as a cost of home runs. That’s why in short tournaments, Japanese pitchers with good control have an advantage.
Mitsui: Exactly, home runs can be limited. Honestly, deep-pocket hitters like Aaron Judge from the U.S. or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from the Dominican Republic are nearly impossible to stop (laughs). But Judge has a high swing-and-miss rate. He struggles with outside breaking pitches, so it’s best to attack that zone even if it risks a walk. If you throw an inside waste pitch, it could easily go over the fence. With battery coach Yoshinori Murata on board, those countermeasures will be shared properly. Having Murata is reassuring.
Part 2 is here! Yasuhiro Mitsui, a great scorer, and Munehiro Shida, a strategist who knows the world, talk it all out!
Yasuhiro Mitsui (2009 Chief Scorer)
Born in 1961 in Shiga Prefecture. Served as a scorer for the Yomiuri Giants for about 22 years and was the chief scorer for the 2009 WBC. Currently coaches through organizations such as “Ariake Boys.”
Munetaka Shida (2017 Scorer)
Born in 1979 in Iwate Prefecture. Served as a scorer for the 2017 WBC. Currently works at Live Ritz Co., Ltd., handling data analysis, commentary, amateur baseball support, and seminars.
From the March 13-20, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO： Hiroyuki Komatsu