The strongest "Samurai JAPAN" in history! Shohei Ohtani leads a star-studded lineup aiming for back-to-back Classic Series championships.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) will begin next March, and Japan’s "Samurai JAPAN" is moving toward defending their championship, with the pitching roster starting to take shape. Following Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s expressed intentions to participate, Japan’s Sankei Sports reported that the final list of Japanese pitchers playing abroad is nearly settled, including several current MLB pitchers, indicating the team is assembling its most luxurious pitching staff ever.

According to Sankei Sports, Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto recently attended an awards ceremony and, when asked about playing in the WBC, said, "If conditions allow, I should be able to participate." This year marks Yamamoto’s second full MLB season, where he has consistently demonstrated elite skills, starting 30 games with a 12-8 record and a 0.249 ERA, earning three wins and the World Series MVP in the championship, making him a key figure in the Samurai Japan pitching staff.

Besides Yamamoto, Japanese media cited sources from the American baseball community saying several Japan-based pitchers face no significant physical or contractual obstacles, making their participation prospects optimistic. This includes Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga, Los Angeles Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi, New York Mets’ Kodai Senga, San Diego Padres reliever Yuki Matsui, and free agent Tomoyuki Sugano, all on the final watch list pending last coordination with their teams and agents.

However, Dodgers’ "Reiwa Monster" Roki Sasaki is expected to skip next year’s Classic due to health reasons, and Seibu Lions pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who is seeking to develop in the U.S. through the posting system, is also highly likely to decline the call-up.

Samurai JAPAN’s head coach Hirokazu Ibata recently explained the team’s roster strategy, planning to bring 15 pitchers, 3 catchers, and 12 fielders to the tournament, employing a "short innings, frequent pitching changes" approach. Ibata emphasized reducing the workload on individual pitchers by spreading innings and using reliable one-inning pitchers in the late game to finish matches, aiming to switch pitchers before opponents fully adjust, maximizing Japan’s pitchers’ strengths in control and pace management.

Notably, Japan has never had more than five MLB players in a single WBC before, but this tournament is likely to set a new record. With teams like the U.S. and the Dominican Republic consolidating top MLB talent, "Samurai JAPAN" is also striving for the "strongest roster ever," fully committed to securing a second consecutive Classic title.