If the players already confirmed for the 2026 World Baseball Classic are any indication, Samurai Japan will have its hands full when it tries to defend the title in March.
​Japan won the 2023 WBC with a storybook finish that saw two-way star Shohei Ohtani strike out U.S. captain Mike Trout — his teammate with the Los Angeles Angels at the time — to give the Japanese team a 3-2 win in a thrilling final.
​Ohtani, who last season won his third straight MVP award in MLB and helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a second straight World Series title, has already committed to playing again in 2026.