Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani made Japan happy once again, this time for a different reason.
Just over three weeks since leading the Dodgers to their second straight World Series, Ohtani made headlines on Monday after he announced his next career move. On Instagram, the L.A. superstar revealed that he plans to join Japan in the World Baseball Classic in 2026.
“Happy to play and represent Japan again,” Ohtani wrote, along with several photos of himself in a Japan uniform. It’s worth noting that the 31-year-old pitcher and designated hitter led his country to the title in the 2023 iteration of the tournament.
As all of Japan celebrates Ohtani’s announcement, national team manager Hirokazu Ibata didn’t hide his delight over the news. After all, prior to the four-time MVP’s post, there were reports that the Dodgers were concerned about their Japanese players (Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki) potentially participating in the competition.
“I’m happy to hear that Ohtani will be playing for the Japan team once again,” Ibata stated, per Japan Times. “It’ll be a huge delight for fans to be able to watch Ohtani play in Japan again,” Ibata said in a statement on Tuesday. “I’ll do my best to form a team that Japan’s baseball fans can be excited with, in order to win the WBC championship for the second time running.”
Japan kicks off its 2026 World Baseball Classic campaign on March 5. The team is in Pool C of the tournament, where they will face Australia, South Korea, the Czech Republic and Chinese Taipei.
Ohtani is undoubtedly the biggest name in the baseball world today, so his decision is definitely huge for both Japan and the WBC.
While the Dodgers have every reason to be concerned, especially considering Ohtani’s $700 million contract with the team, the fact remains that the MLB All-Star is keen on representing his country in any way he can.
