Social media is buzzing after Shohei Ohtani officially joined the Samurai Japan roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
On December 26, 2025, manager Hirokazu Ibata named the first eight players for the squad confirming the Dodgers superstar will return to defend Japan’s title.
Ohtani recently shared his excitement on Instagram, telling fans, “I’m happy that I will be playing for the Japan national team again.”
The news has set the internet on fire, especially as Ohtani is fresh off his fourth MLB MVP win and a second straight World Series title.
Manager Ibata added to the hype by stating, “It’ll be a huge delight for fans to be able to watch Ohtani play in Japan again.”
While Ohtani is locked in, fans are also tracking Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The World Series MVP has expressed a strong desire to play, saying, “I think it would be great if I could play in that tournament again.”
Although his name was not in the first wave of players due to ongoing talks with the Dodgers, he is expected to join the full roster in January.
Japan begins its title defense at the Tokyo Dome on March 6, 2026.
Ibata is focused on the challenge ahead promising, “I’ll do my best to form a team that Japan’s baseball fans can be excited with.”
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