The 2026 World Baseball Classic is right around the corner. In addition to crowning the world’s best baseball team, the tournament often serves as a showcase for players from outside MLB to put themselves on the radar of fans outside their home nations.
For many fans, the WBC was the first glimpse of Japanese players Roki Sasaki, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, Kenta Maeda and a long list of other stars.
While Samurai Japan features more MLB-affiliated players than ever for this edition of the WBC, there are still NPB stars fans should keep an eye on for the future.