The top two from each pool advance to the quarterfinals. The teams I want to advance... Pool A: Cuba, Panama Pool B: Japan, Australia Pool C: United States, Colombia Pool D: Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
Yahoo Japan/SportsNavi is reporting on Sunday (January 15) that Samurai Japan have named their full roster of 30 players for the World Baseball Classic. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ec445d29518e7dd8b26a9984b6fc94431c7449cc ☆ Players initially announced on January 6. PITCHERS (15) ☆ Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels) ☆ Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres) ☆ Shosei Togo (Yomiuri Giants) ☆ Roki Sasaki (Chiba Lotte Marines) ☆ Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes) ☆ Shota Imanaga (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) LHP Yuki Matsui (Rakuten Golden Eagles) LHP Ryoji Kuribayashi (Hiroshima Carp) Atsuki Yuasa (Hanshin Tigers) Taisei Ota (Yomiuri Giants) Hiroya Miyagi (Orix Buffaloes) LHP Yuki Udagawa (Orix Buffaloes) Keiji Takahashi (Yakult Swallows) LHP Hiromi Itoh (Nippon-Ham Fighters) Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons) CATCHERS (3) ☆ Kai Takuya (SoftBank Hawks) Yuhei Nakamura (Yakult Swallows) Takumi Ohshiro (Yomiuri Giants) INFIELDERS (8) ☆ Sosuke Genda (Seibu Lions) ☆ Shugo Maki (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) ☆ Munetaka Murakami (Yakult Swallows) Tetsuto Yamada (Yakult Swallows) Hotaka Yamakawa (Seibu Lions) Ukyo Shuto (SoftBank Hawks) Takumu Nakano (Hanshin Tigers) Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants) OUTFIELDERS (4) ☆ Kensuke Kondo (SoftBank Hawks) ☆ Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs) Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox) Lars Nootbaar (St. Louis Cardinals) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = I'm guessing Ohtani will DH if allowed to (by the Angels). Hiroto Takahashi joins the team in just his third year after graduating from high school, becoming the youngest player to represent Japan at the WBC along with Masahiro Tanaka in 2009. Tanaka pitched in four games in the 2009 WBC tournament. Popular veteran shortstop Hayato Sakamoto (Yomiuri Giants) withdrew his name for consideration, preferring to focus on getting/staying healthy for the start of the NPB season after suffering an injury-plagued campaign last year. The general feeling appears to be that the pitching staff is one of the strongest Team Japan has ever assembled, albeit with only 4/15 southpaws. Overall, I like this roster very much. But I do feel there were a few surprising omissions, including... P Kodai Senga (New York Mets) P Koyo Aoyagi (Hanshin Tigers) P Soichiro Yamazaki (Orix Buffaloes) C Yuya Mori (Saitama Seibu) IF Hideto Asamura (Rakuten Golden Eagles) IF Ryosuke Kikuchi (Hiroshima Carp) IF Kenta Imamiya (SoftBank Hawks) OF Yuki Yanagida (SoftBank Hawks) OF Yasutaka Shiomi (Yakult Swallows) OF Koji Chikamoto (Hanshin Tigers) OF Shogo Akiyama (Hiroshima Carp)) Yanagida and Shiomi stand out the most considering only four outfielders are listed. And the Hanshin Tigers fan in me also feels Chikamoto was deserving of a spot in the squad.
On Thursday Samurai Japan announced the players' uniform numbers. Announcement begins at 5:13 of video. 2023年3月に開催される「カーネクスト 2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC™ 東京プール」の侍ジャパン登録予定選手発表記者会見の模様をお届けします。#侍ジャパン #WorldBaseballClassic https://t.co/V3tDEKYHef— 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン 公式 (@samuraijapan_pr) January 26, 2023 PITCHERS (15) 11 Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres) 12 Shosei Togo (Yomiuri Giants) 13 Yuki Matsui (Rakuten Golden Eagles) LHP 14 Roki Sasaki (Chiba Lotte Marines) 15 Taisei Ota (Yomiuri Giants) 16 Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels) 17 Hiromi Itoh (Nippon-Ham Fighters) 18 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes) 20 Ryoji Kuribayashi (Hiroshima Carp) 21 Shota Imanaga (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) LHP 22 Atsuki Yuasa (Hanshin Tigers) 26 Yuki Udagawa (Orix Buffaloes) 28 Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons) 29 Hiroya Miyagi (Orix Buffaloes) LHP 47 Keiji Takahashi (Yakult Swallows) LHP CATCHERS (3) 10 Kai Takuya (SoftBank Hawks) 24 Takumi Ohshiro (Yomiuri Giants) 27 Yuhei Nakamura (Yakult Swallows) INFIELDERS (7) 1 Tetsuto Yamada (Yakult Swallows) 2 Sosuke Genda (Seibu Lions) 3 Shugo Maki (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) 7 Takumu Nakano (Hanshin Tigers) 25 Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants) 33 Hotaka Yamakawa (Seibu Lions) 55 Munetaka Murakami (Yakult Swallows) OUTFIELDERS (5) 8 Kensuke Kondo (SoftBank Hawks) 9 Ukyo Shuto (SoftBank Hawks) 23 Lars Nootbaar (St. Louis Cardinals) 34 Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox) 51 Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs)
Subject to change as we get closer, but for now this is my starting lineup for Japan. 4-man starting rotation Yoshinobu Yamamoto Yu Darvish Shohei Ohtani Roki Sasaki Mar 9: vs China (Yamamoto) Mar 10: vs South Korea (Darvish) Mar 11: vs Czech Republic (Ohtani) Mar 12: vs Australia (Sasaki) *Mar 15-16: Quarterfinals (Yamamoto) *Mar 19-20: Semifinals (Darvish) *Mar 21: Championship Final (Ohtani) *Assuming they advance Batting order 1 - Kensuke Kondoh (CF) 2 - Seiya Suzuki (RF) 3 - Shohei Ohtani (DH) 4 - Munetaka Murakami (3B) 5 - Hotaka Yamakawa (1B) 6 - Shugo Maki (2B) 7 - Masataka Yoshida (LF) 8 - Sosuke Genda (SS) 9 - Yuhei Nakamura (C)
Along with Hayato Sakamoto who I had mentioned earlier, I've have since discovered that both Kodai Senga (MLB) and Yuki Yanagita (NPB) had decided to forego the WBC in order to prepare for their respective upcoming seasons. In Senga's case, his was (by all accounts) a voluntary one with the Mets not interfering with his decision. (Senga did play in the 2017 WBC)
All 20 teams have finalized their rosters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_World_Baseball_Classic_rosters
On Friday 17 February Team Japan convened together at Hinata Sun Marine Stadium to open their "Miyazaki Camp" in preparation for the WBC. Of the five players who play on MLB clubs, only Yu Darvish arrived for the Day 1 workout. Lars Nootbaar, Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida made agreements with manager Hideki Kuriyama to arrive in late February/early March. The team will play six warm-up games against NPB clubs before opening their WBC account on 9 March against China.
More highlights from Japan's "Miyazaki Camp" preparations. On Day 2 (Saturday 18 February) 22 year old power slugger Munetaka Murakami (#55) featured in the batting cage while Yu Darvish (#11) drew everyone's attention in the bullpen. The following day Roki Sasaki (#14) debuted in the bullpen (reports say officials from the Los Angeles Dodgers were present), and the extra-inning 'ghost runner' rule was simulated. (The 'ghost runner', which is not implemented in NPB, will be used at the WBC.)
Following Monday's off-day, Yu Darvish took to the mound during live batting practice. The first batter he faced was the 23 year old NPB slugging sensation Munetaka Murakami. The result left the Japanese media buzzing. Murakami would later hit a liner down the left field line in his last at-bat against Darvish. Darvish: “My goal today was more to get a feel for things rather than being precise in my deliveries. It was really fun with so many fans coming out to see us.” “The instant he hit it, I thought it was gone. But for him to do that so soon into my stint, and to hit it where he did, I felt a little upset.” “It was a two-seamer and I left it up a bit and in the middle of the plate, but a pitch like that is not something an MLB hitter is going to easily hit the way he did. So that home run surprised me a bit.” “He himself said the wind carried it out, but I’m experienced enough to know he hit it on the screws.” Q: What do you think of Murakami? “I’ve been watching him on video, and from that it looks like he’s the real thing. He has an aura. He’s very cheerful but when he’s focused, he looks scary.” “Going forward, it looks like he’s going to go to MLB, and he’ll further change the image of what Japanese players are capable of.” . In December Murakami signed a three-year extension with the Yakult Swallows with the stipulation that after the 2025 season the team will post him for MLB clubs to bid on. He will turn 26 in February 2026.
Cuba will be playing in Pool A, based in Taiwan. Last week the team traveled to Japan to begin their preparations and are playing exhibition games against NPB clubs. They opened on Friday by taking a heavy defeat, losing 11-2 against the Nippon-Ham Fighters. On Sunday they rebounded to beat the Chunichi Dragons 3-2.
Cuba continued their tour of Japan on Tuesday by handling the Central League champion Yakult Swallows 10-4. But on Wednesday they were shutout by the Yomiuri Giants 2-0
Very happy to learn on Thursday that Japan's starting pitchers will be the four aces I was hoping to see: Yu Darvish - 19-year veteran, 12 in MLB, 5x All-Star in both NPB and MLB. Shohei Ohtani - The sensational two-way player who will both start on the mound and DH at the plate. Roki Sasaki - The 21 year old phenom who, on 10 April 2022, pitched NPB's first perfect game since 1994 by striking out 19 including 13 consecutive batters. He followed up with 8 more perfect innings in his next start before being pulled in the 9th. His fastball clocked in at 101 mph in the 8th inning. Yoshinobu Yamamoto - Achieved the Pacific League pitching Triple Crown (ERA, strikeouts, wins) the past TWO seasons. The team also announced the rotation order for the tournament: Mar 9: vs China (Darvish) Mar 10: vs South Korea (Ohtani) Mar 11: vs Czech Republic (Sasaki) Mar 12: vs Australia (Yamamoto) *Mar 15-16: Quarterfinals (Darvish) *Mar 19-20: Semifinals (tbd) *Mar 21: Championship Final (tbd) Sasaki's starting assignment against the Czech Republic will come 12 years after the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. He was in the third grade at the time when he lost his father and grandparents as the flooding swept away the family's home. Pitch count limit for all pitchers in the tournament: 65 pitches per game in the first round 80 pitches per game in the quarterfinals 95 pitches per game in the semifinals and final It is believed that Shota Imanaga and lefty Keiji Takahashi will be the first long relievers out of the pen after the starters hit their pitch limit. The odd man out of the starter's list is Shosei Togo, who led the Central League in strikeouts last season and was vying for a spot in the rotation. Togo will be used as either a long or middle reliever along with others who are starters for their clubs: Hiromi Ito, Hiroto Takahashi and southpaw Hiroya Miyagi. Left-hander Yuki Matsui, Atsuki Yuasa and Yuki Udagawa will be the setup men. And shutting the doors will be closers Taisei Ota and Ryoji Kuribayashi.
On Saturday (25 February) Samurai Japan played their first Camp exhibition game, beating the SoftBank Hawks 8-4 in Miyazaki. Japan's starting lineup/batting order: 1. 2B Tetsuto Yamada 2. SS Sosuke Genda 3. DH Hodaka Yamakawa 4. 3B Munetaka Murakami 5. LF Kensuke Kondo 6. C Takuya Kai 7. 1B Kazuma Okamoto 8. CF Yukyo Shuto 9. RF Seiya Matsubara Roki Sasaki started on the mound and although he gave up an infield hit to leadoff batter Taisei Makihara, he faced the minimum six batters over two innings after Makihara was promptly gunned down by his SoftBank clubmate Takuya Kai while attempting to steal second. Sasaki struck out three batters, throwing 26 pitches in total. Shota Imanaga (two innings) and Hiromi Itoh (5th inning) each fanned two batters, but southpaw Hiroya Miyagi struggled in the sixth, allowing four runs on on four hits and two walks although the two errors by shortstop Takumu Nakano were key in the Hawks scoring. Surprise inclusion Yuki Udagawa, who had a 0.81 ERA in 19 starts in his debut season last year, faced four batters over 1-1/3 innings, striking out two while walking one. Shosei Togo worked the ninth, giving up a walk and fanning one. Offensively, Kazuma Okamoto was the star, opening the scoring in the fourth inning by driving in two runs on a bases-loaded double to the right-center gap. He finished going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Kensuke Kondo went 2-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored while RBIs by Nakano and Ukyo Shuto completed the scoring. Munetaka Murakami went 0-for-1 with a strikeout although he did draw two walks. Makihara was SoftBank's main threat at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. With three of Japan's MLB outfielders not joining the team until March 1, three players were added to the team as 'support members' during camp. Seiya Matsubara, Shinnosuke Shigenobu and Manaya Nishikawa all saw action in Saturday's game with Matsubara playing the full nine innings in right field. After the game, the teams played a 10th inning with the 'ghost runner' rule in effect, starting their at bats with a runner at second base. Each team scored one run in their turn at bat.
Sosuke Genda's ninth inning single to right field scored Ukyo Shuto to break a 2-2 tie as Samurai Japan took Game 2 of their weekend series against the SoftBank Hawks, winning 4-2. Starting lineup / Batting order 1. DH Tetsuto Yamada 2. CF Kensuke Kondo 3. LF Kazuma Okamoto 4. 3B Munetaka Murakami 5. 1B Hodaka Yamakawa 6. C Yuhei Nakamura 7. 2B Shugo Maki 8. SS Takumu Nakano 9. RF Manaya Nishikawa The Hawks took the lead in the second inning off Samurai's starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto when Tomoya Masaki doubled to left-center and scored on Freddy Galvis' double into the right field corner. Galvis then scored the second run when Munetaka Murakami fielded a grounder but threw wide of first base. Those were the only two runs allowed by the Japan pitching staff, with Yamamoto allowing two hits and a walk while striking out three in three innings of work. In the 5th inning with runners on first and third, SoftBank catcher Hiroki Minei threw wildly as Shuto attempted to steal second, allowing Tetsuto Yamada to waltz home with Japan's first run of the inning with Shuto going to third. Shuto then scored the tying run on a fielder's choice grounder to second by Kazuma Okamoto. Keiji Takahashi pitched two shutout innings allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two, and Yuki Matsui walked two in the sixth inning but allowed no further damage. Atsuki Yuasa and Taisei Ota each faced the minimum three batters in their one inning of work, and closer Ryoji Kuribayashi picked up the save despite allowing a hit in the ninth. An agreement meant none of the MLB players would play in any exhibition games before March 2, thus Yu Darvish - the only one of the five MLB players on the team to participate in the Miyazaki workouts - did not see any action against the Hawks. Later on Sunday, news arrived from the U.S. that Seiya Suzuki's status on the team was in jeopardy after having been scratched from the Spring Training game against the San Francisco Giants due to a left oblique strain. Suzuki had images taken and the Chicago Cubs said they will provide an update on Monday. Much speculation in the Japanese media on who would take over the roster spot if Suzuki cannot play in the tournament, with Yasutaka Shiomi, Koji Chikamoto and Ryoma Nishikawa appearing to be the leading candidates.
Team Japan concluded their "Miyazaki Camp" on Monday (February 27) with a brief workout session. Afterwards, Yuhei Nakamura spoke to the crowd on behalf of the players ("They nominated me yesterday.") thanking the fans for their support during the 11-day stay in Miyazaki. The players then threw signed baseballs into the stands in appreciation. Camp now moves to Nagoya and the Vantelin Dome where closed doors sessions will take place on March 1 and 2. Two exhibition games will follow on March 3 and 4 against the Chunichi Dragons. Yu Darvish should be available for his first game action. The Kyocera Dome in Osaka will then host Samurai Japan on March 5 when the remaining MLB players - Shohei Ohtani, Masataka Yoshida and Lars Nootbaar - arrive. The final two exhibition games will then be played on March 6 and 7 against the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes, respectively. It's then on to Tokyo where they will play their first WBC game on March 9. One MLB player who will not be in Tokyo is Seiya Suzuki, who confirmed his withdrawal from the WBC tournament after suffering tightness in his left oblique. It's a major blow to the team and manager Hideki Kuriyama said that he has yet to decide who will replace Suzuki on the roster. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/64fcbea68bfe57b3cbefa34bbee04a0135e246ff https://www.mlb.com/news/seiya-suzuki-withdraws-from-world-baseball-classic
On Wednesday (1 March) Taisei Makihara of the SoftBank Hawks was named as Seiya Suzuki's replacement on Team Japan's roster for the WBC tournament. Nicknamed "King Joker", Makihara is a versatile utility player capable of playing every defensive position except pitcher and catcher. He has batted in every spot of the batting order and has also been used as a pinch hitter and pinch runner, making him a trump card for the Hawks and, now, for Samurai Japan. The 30 year old Makihara, who will be wearing the #5 jersey, played for SoftBank in the two weekend exhibition games against Japan in Miyazaki, playing centerfield in both games and batting in the leadoff position. He went 2-for-6 over the two games including an infield hit and an RBI double while also scoring a run. Makihara joins Takuya Kai, Kensuke Kondo and Ukyo Shuto as the four players from the SoftBank Hawks to be on the 2023 roster. He is also one of three players on the squad that was selected in the 2010 NPB draft, along with Kai and Tetsuto Yamada.
Two more of Samurai Japan's MLB players, Shohei Ohtani and Lars Nootbaar, arrived in Japan on Friday. 【速報】#大谷翔平 が帰国 日本代表合流へ#羽田空港 に到着に到着した大谷翔平選手迎えの車に乗り込み、羽田空港を後に▼この後名古屋へ向かい、日本代表 #侍ジャパン 合流へ#報ステ pic.twitter.com/vJGyuT1MTg— 報道ステーション＋土日ステ (@hst_tvasahi) March 1, 2023 After his arrival Ohtani made a surprise visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Wasn’t expecting this curveball, but… SHOtime came to the U.S. Embassy! No better representative of the shared 🇺🇸🇯🇵 national pastime than Ohtani-san. He’s changed the history of the game in Japan and America. @Angels @MLB pic.twitter.com/kPJp61MYuP— ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) March 3, 2023 Nootbaar also being welcomed by the media. Lars Nootbaar in Japan for the WBC. So cool to see all the love he is getting. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/Vl5xkSEFr4— Cards Convo ™ (@CardinalsConvo) March 2, 2023
Lars Nootbaar (far left) and Shohei Ohtani (third from left) meet their WBC teammates at the Vantelin Dome in Nagoya. Ohtani Ohtani and Nootbaar
#大谷翔平 選手、#ヌートバー 選手がチームに合流しました！#侍ジャパン #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/uzQomnbJVg— 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン 公式 (@samuraijapan_pr) March 3, 2023
On Friday in Nagoya, Samurai Japan were given a wake-up call after suffering their first defeat in their exhibition series in preparation of the WBC tournament, losing 7-2 to the Chunichi Dragons.. The team did pre-game warm-ups wearing shirts in Lars Nootbaar’s honor, with his new Samurai Japan nickname, “Ta-chan” (たっちゃん) - taken from the first syllables of his double middle name, Taylor-Tatsuji - emblazoned across the back with crossed bats and American and Japanese flags. Before the start of the game, Kazuma Okamoto gave the pre-game speech: #カーネクスト侍ジャパンシリーズ2023 名古屋侍ジャパン vs 中日ドラゴンズ第1戦の円陣声出しは #岡本和真 選手！▼放送予定https://t.co/cu2sibie4W▼侍ジャパン試合速報https://t.co/fq0xDIZWqU#侍ジャパン #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/5eRU3metsF— 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン 公式 (@samuraijapan_pr) March 3, 2023 Okamoto: "Ok! There are four games left. Ta-chan is here, so let's solidify our unity from here. Let's go!" Players: "Alright!" Nootbaar:"What did he say?" Interpreter: "I couldn't hear sh!t." Starting lineup / Batting order 1. 2B Tetsuto Yamada 2. RF Kensuke Kondo 3. 1B Shugo Maki 4. 3B Munetaka Murakami 5. LF Kazuma Okamoto 6. DH Hotaka Yamakawa 7. SS Sosuke Genda 8. C Takuzo Oshiro 9. CF Yukyo Shuto Shota Imanaga was the starting pitcher, striking out 7 of the 12 batters he faced over 3 innings. Hiroki Matsui struggled the most in relief. In the 7th he allowed 4 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks before being pulled with two outs. Pitching caoch Masato Yoshii said afterwards that many of the pitchers have struggled to adapt to the MLB ball that will be used in the WBC. Over the years many American pitchers have stated their preference to the baseballs used in NPB than those in MLB, saying that NPB balls are smaller and not as slippery which provides for a better grip. Shohei Ohtani was seen talking to Matsui after the performance, likely giving him pointers on how to handle MLB balls.
A solo home run by Kazuma Okamoto to lead off the seventh inning turned out to be the game winning run as Team Japan took Game 2 of the Nagoya series beating the home team Chunichi Dragons 4-1. Starting lineup / Batting order 1. RF Kensuke Kondo 2. SS Takumu Nakano 3. 2B Shugo Maki 4. DH Munetaka Murakami 5. 3B Kazuma Okamoto 6. 1B Hotaka Yamakawa 7. LF Ukyo Shuto 8. C Takuya Kai 9 CF Kyota Fujiwara The pre-game warm-ups were dominated by Shohei Ohtani inside the batting cage. Even the Chunichi players were watching with interest and admiration and 'Sho-Time' did not disappoint, launching a few balls well over the fences. Roki Sasaki made his second start of the exhibition series, pitching three shutout innings allowing one hit, two walks with three strikeouts against the 11 batters he faced. He also brought the heat, with 19 of the 53 pitches he threw hitting 161+ kmh (100+ mph). He topped out at 165 kmh (102.5 mph) which is the NPB record for the fastest pitch thrown (by Ohtani in 2016). Hiroya Miyagi, Hiroto Takahashi and Hiromi Itoh pitched two innings apiece with Takahashi and Itoh allowing no hits while striking out six in their combined four innings of work. Miyagi allowed just two hits including the lone run on a solo effort by former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino in the fourth inning. The home run tied the score at 1-1, Japan having taken the lead in the third when Kensuke Kondo singled home Hiromi Oka. Oka was one of three 'support players' for Japan during Nagoya series. While Kyota Fujiwara started in centerfield going 1-for-2 at the plate with a run scored, a two-run homer by Chusei Mannami in the eighth inning completed the scoring. Masataka Yoshida arrived in Japan on Friday and is expected to join the team in Osaka on Sunday. Along with Yoshida and Ohtani, MLB players Yu Darvish and Lars Nootbaar will be eligible for game action for the two final exhibition games on March 6 and 7 against, respectively, the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes.