With the World Baseball Classic upon us, one of the most exciting things for true seamheads is the opportunity to see many of Japan’s top Nippon Professional Baseball stars in action.

Over the last few WBC tournaments, American fans have gotten their first look at several future MLB stars with Team Japan. This year’s squad once again showcases the country’s top players who could one day take their talents to the United States.

With that in mind, here are scouting reports for five players on Japan’s WBC roster with MLB-level ability to keep a close eye on throughout the tournament. 

Hiroto Takahashi, RHP, Chunichi

Takahashi is considered the top player participating in the World Baseball Classic yet to come over to MLB. He’s likely two seasons away from being posted, but in the meantime, he has built a reputation as one of the best young pitchers in Japan.

Takahashi broke into Chunichi’s Central League roster at 19 and has been a primary member of the Dragons’ rotation ever since. He’s undersized at 6-foot 187 pounds, and mixes four pitches in a four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball and splitter. Takahashi is sitting 94-95 mph on his fastball this season in NPB, but due to a lack of movement, the pitch has missed very few bats. The fastball generated just a 4.6% swinging-strike rate in 2025 and is an area of concern.

The next Team Japan arm to know?

RHP Hiroto Takahashi.

Here’s why ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/HsMYNNFJ5F

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 4, 2026

Takahashi’s secondaries, on the other hand, boast strong swinging-strike rates. His upper-80s splitter elicited swings 21.8% of the time and his cutter ran a 19.1% swinging-strike rate—both well above the NPB average for those pitch types. His curveball is an upper-70s pitch that generated fringe results in 2025.

Takahashi shows above-average command and can hit spots with his fastball, but he will need to continue to develop an improved fastball shape to successfully make the jump to MLB in 2028. 

Shota Morishita, OF, Hanshin

One of the most well-rounded young players in NPB, Morishita hit .275/.350/.463 with 23 home runs in 2025 and will make his WBC debut in 2026.

Morishita presents a nice balance of skills, as he shows above-average game power with good angles, as he ran a 44.1% pull rate last year and a low chase rate of 22.6% that ranked in the 86th percentile in NPB. He has at least average bat-to-ball skills and is a strong defender in the outfield.

While the righthanded-hitting Morishita has little issue hitting sameside pitching, he truly excels against lefties. In 2025, he posted a 181 wRC+ against lefthanders and could be a lefty-killer off the bench in the WBC. With a good showing in the tournament, Morishita could become more attractive to MLB teams. 

Teruaki Sato, 3B, Hanshin

The 2025 Central League MVP, Sato enjoyed a breakout campaign last year. The season started with a home run off Blake Snell in a spring exhibition game and he didn’t slow down from there, setting career highs in home runs (40), doubles (35), hits (149), RBIs (102) and OPS (.924).

Sato shows an aggressive profile at the plate, with a higher strikeout rate and a high chase rate. His carrying tool is his ability to do damage, as he hits the ball hard in the air and to his pull side consistently. It’s a profile not terribly different from fellow Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, who this offseason signed with the White Sox. Sato is a fringe defender at third base but was average by NPB standards.

One of the best non-MLB bats in Japan’s WBC lineup, Sato could showcase his plus power for MLB teams this spring. 

Hiromi Itoh, RHP, Nippon

The 2025 Sawamura winner (Japan’s Cy Young equivalent), Itoh led NPB in strikeouts and innings in 2025. At 28 years old, it’s uncertain if or when he’ll come stateside.

Itoh mixes seven pitch shapes: a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider, splitter, curveball, cutter and changeup. At times, he’ll even break out an eephus pitch. Itoh shows excellent pitchability in addition to good pitch shapes, as he led NPB in K/BB rate. The fastball is his best pitch, and unlike many Japanese starters, Itoh misses lots of bats with his four-seamer. The pitch sits at 92-94 mph with plus ride and armside run. It’s one of the highest IVB fastballs on Japan’s staff.

Itoh’s slider is a mid-80s sweeper that serves as a good bat-misser and chase pitch. His splitter is a groundball pitch rather than a swing-and-miss offering, but it’s still a primary part of his arsenal. His other four pitches are all thrown less than 5% of the time and are more change-of-pace offerings. 

Hiroya Miyagi, LHP, Orix

Miyagi broke in with Orix in 2021 and has been a part of the Buffaloes’ rotation over the last five seasons. Miyagi is an extremely undersized, standing at 5-foot-7, 182 pounds, but despite his size, he has handled a sizable workload as a starter in recent years.

Miyagi has good stuff and excellent locations, and he mixes five pitches in a four-seam fastball, slider, splitter, changeup and curveball. He works with fringy velocity, sitting 90-91 mph on his fastball, but his movement and release traits help the pitch play up. While his fastball doesn’t miss many bats (4.9% swinging-strike rate), it does generate a high rate of ground balls.

Miyagi’s best pitch is a slider that sits in the low 80s and ran a 22.4% swinging-strike rate in 2025. His two offspeed offerings are a harder mid-80s splitter and an upper-70s changeup. The curveball is rarely used and is really just an eephus pitch at 60 mph.

Miyagi is a unique player who lacks the stuff typical of successful MLB pitchers, but his advanced command and unusual mix make him an interesting prospect should he decide to come over after 2026.