The latest World Baseball Basic in 2023 ended with one of many biggest moments in current baseball historical past when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to safe Japan’s 3-2 championship sport win. It was such an iconic second as a result of Ohtani and Trout, who have been the respective captains of Japan and the USA, have been broadly considered two of one of the best gamers in baseball and have been additionally teammates on the time with the Los Angeles Angels.
There can be no repeat of that matchup, or something even near it, in the course of the 2026 World Baseball Basic in March.
That’s as a result of Ohtani won’t be pitching for Japan within the event, as announced by Los Angeles Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts on Saturday.
Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch for Japan at 2026 World Baseball Basic
Ohtani will nonetheless function the designated hitter for Japan within the event, however won’t be taking the mound.
Roberts mentioned that the choice was totally Ohtani’s, and that the Dodgers would have “completely” supported his determination to pitch if he had chosen to take action.
Even with that being the case, it’s nonetheless most likely for one of the best that Ohtani doesn’t pitch within the event, simply primarily based on the truth that he was so restricted on the mound in the course of the 2025 season for the Dodgers.
Ohtani pitched simply 47 innings for the Dodgers in 2025 as he was getting back from the second Tommy John surgical procedure of his profession. Whereas he was extremely efficient in these 47 innings (with a 2.87 ERA) he was nonetheless clearly not 100% and never again to a full workload. The hope is that he can be there this season. Although the Dodgers would have supported his determination to pitch for Japan, there may be most likely an unstated sigh of reduction that he can be saving his arm for the crew that’s paying him $700 million.
This yr’s World Baseball Basic will happen between March 5-17 (the championship sport can be performed on March 17), and can be performed in the USA, Japan and Puerto Rico. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will all be performed at Mortgage Depot Park, the house of the Nationwide League’s Miami Marlins.
