Samurai Japan held their first workout at LoanDepot Park around 10:00am Eastern which was live streamed by Netflix Japan. Images appear roughly 2 minutes into the video with Shohei Ohtani throwing batting practice. This was also the first workout session in Miami for pitcher Yuki Matsumoto who had missed Wednesday's charter flight due to illness.
Saturday morning program with news on Samurai Japan's quarterfinal against Venezuela. It's all in Japanese but the studio hosts are joined by Munenori Kawasaki, the popular former MLB player who played on Japan's 2006 and 2009 WBC championship teams. Also includes a conversation with Alex 'Ramichan' Ramirez, a Venezuelan who had a Hall of Fame career in NPB and currently resides in Japan.
Before the tournament, the quarterfinals is what I feared most knowing that either of the Latino powers would be the likely opponent. Japan cannot afford the offensive struggles they had during Pool play. Fully expect a close, hard fought contest. Yamamoto to start, pitch count increased to 80. Even if he doesn't reach the maximum count it's been said that this will be his final appearance this tournament. He was expected to return to Dodgers camp after the game but he apparently wants to stay and support the team if they advance. Lineup should be as expected with Orix Buffaloes catcher Wakatsuki getting the start since he has a repertoire from Yamamoto's years with the club. Kondoh has been a disappointment with the bat but I'd still start him in RF with Sato available off the bench.
LIVE STREAM WBC Quarterfinal, pre-game workouts 06:35 Sunday Japan 5:35pm Miami/Eastern 2:35pm Pacific
Sato gets the start over Kondoh! 1- DH Ohtani 2- RF Sato 3- CF Suzuki 4- LF Yoshida 5- 3B Okamoto 6- 1B Murakami 7- 2B Maki 8- SS Genda 9- C Wakatsuki P - Yamamoto
Ronald Acuña Jr. sends Yamamoto yards on the second pitch at bat, a fast ball in the zone. This is going to be a very competitive game.
Gosh darnit!!! I'm a Cubs fan, so I immediately realize that Seiya's knee is probably sprained, so he's done! I think that was a stupid play on Japan's part anyways. Aggressive on two outs and down on the count against arguably a Hall of Fame catcher??? Dumb dumb dumb.
Yamamoto with a rough second inning. His pitch count after two innings of work is currently at 37... Venezuela lead 2-1 after a pair of doubles from Torres and Tovar.
Terrible day for our boy @unclesox First Los Boris get eliminated by Team Italia, then Japan falls to an amazing relief pitching performance from Venezuela tonight. I just hope Seiya is ok. Best of luck to Japan!
For the first time in WBC history, Samurai Japan failed to reach the semifinals after losing to a powerful Venezuela team 8-5 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The game got off to a fast start when Ronald Acuña Jr. sent Yoshinobu Yamamoto's second pitch of the game into the right field bleachers, but Shohei Ohtani answered with a lead off home run in the bottom of the 1st inning. After the South Americans went back in front in the 2nd, the reigning champions took a 5-2 lead on Shota Morishita's three-run blast to left field but then went 13 consecutive plate appearances without a base runner while the pitching surrendered five runs leading to the defeat. Wilyer Abreu provided the key blow with a three-run bomb to right field off Sawamura Award winner Hiromi Itoh that flipped a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 lead The loss snapped an 11 game WBC winning streak with Japan's last defeat being in the 2017 semifinals against the United States. While the eight MLB players return to their teams, the remaining players and staff will take the long journey back to Japan and get ready for the NPB season which begins on Friday 27 March.
Post-game comments following Saturday's loss to Venezuela. Manager Hirokazu Ibata: "The reality is that we lost. I hope the hitters continue to build their strength, and the pitchers — both with their fastballs and breaking balls — continue to improve their power so that they can take on this challenge once again in three years." "The option of having Shohei Ohtani come in to pitch mid-game was never on the table. That is something you can't really know until you try it; however, if he were going to pitch, I think I would have had him start the game." Kensuke Kondoh (who was 0-for-13 in the tournament): "When I was selected for the team this time I came with the mindset that I was here to win the championship. Since I ended up finishing without being able to contribute anything, I feel strongly that I still have much to learn and that I need to continue growing as a player." Tomoyuki Sugano: "I have never once won a championship — neither in Japan (Nippon Series) nor on the world stage (WBC). I imagine the view from the very top must be truly magnificent." Shugo Maki (grounded out with two runners on to end the 8th inning): "I believe my inability to get a hit in that specific situation exposed my own weakness. However, having gone through that experience, I intend to use it as a stepping stone to help me improve for the future." Munetaka Murakami: "It is incredibly frustrating. In terms of capturing both the difficulty and the joy of baseball, I think we played a great game. Baseball is a very difficult sport. I was reminded once again of just how hard it is to secure a single victory." "My physical condition isn't bad. However, there are certainly many unique challenges inherent to short-series tournaments like this, and I feel that my own weaknesses were exposed in that regard. You can't expect to get a hit every single time, so figuring out how to navigate those moments becomes incredibly important." "Venezuela has a high level of hitting talent across the board; it is quite rare to see a Japanese team get hit around as much as we did against them. I felt that their level of play was truly exceptional. They gave the impression of being a completely unified team." Seiya Suzuki "Right at the very end, I ended up causing trouble for everyone, and I felt deeply apologetic about it but my teammates stepped up and covered for me. I am left with a lingering sense of frustration myself, but I intend to keep working hard so that I can come back and get my revenge in the future." "It's still a long way off, so I can't say anything for certain just yet... but if I were to be selected again... if the opportunity to go to Los Angeles (Olympics) arises then of course, I would want to go." Masataka Yoshida: "It was truly a back-and-forth battle scoring runs, giving them up and ultimately we ended up losing in the end. I felt that the real test would begin once we arrived in Miami, but the result turned out to be a disappointing and somber one. I wish we could have pushed through and gone all the way to the very end, but that is the nature of the competitive world we live in." Yusei Kikuchi: "I feel like I managed to do the bare minimum required of me. Four years from now, I’ll be 39 years old, but I want to be the kind of player who is still considered indispensable — someone people say, 'We need Yusei.'" Chihiro Sumida (gave up the home run that reduced Japan's lead to 5-4): "Realizing that I gave the opponent a glimmer of hope — making them think they could get back into the game just because of a single pitch that turned into a home run — really reminded me of the unforgiving nature of baseball. It’s frustrating. In hindsight, I think that one errant pitch really determined the outcome of everything." Kazuma Okamoto "I think the bottom line is simply that I failed to get a hit when the opportunity presented itself. It’s frustrating, but I intend to stay focused and do exactly what I need to do. I’ll keep working hard so that, two years from now, I might be selected to represent the team at the Los Angeles Olympics." Yoshinobu Yamamoto "Right from the start, I gave up a home run almost immediately. Then, in the second inning, I allowed them to take the lead following another extra-base hit. I feel like those moments really had a significant impact on the flow of the entire game. It’s frustrating. There’s really no other way to describe it. It’s just frustrating." Shota Morishita "It hurts to lose, but I also gained a tremendous amount of perspective by observing everything around me. The opportunity to witness world -lass players in person is something that will truly benefit me in the upcoming season and in future international competitions. With so many Major Leaguers participating, the sheer intensity — the 'fear factor' of the game and the individual strength of the players — was on a completely different level compared to other tournaments. Even though we lost, I still consider this to have been a fantastic tournament experience." "I still have so many areas where I fall short. I want to keep putting in the work and continue improving so I can reach a much higher level.” Teruaki Sato "It simply comes down to the fact that their lineup outperformed ours. I think Venezuela was the stronger team." "From the opponent's perspective, [the intentional walk] was the obvious move. Since there’s no better hitter in the lineup than Ohtani-san, I just stepped up to the plate with full concentration." Shohei Ohtani "It’s truly frustrating. There were so many elements in our favor — so many reasons why we *could* have won. Ultimately, it comes down to my own lack of ability." "Anything other than winning the championship... well, I suppose you have to call it a failure. At least in terms of the final result, that’s how I feel it has to be viewed. As for future national team competitions — whether you call it a chance for 'revenge' or simply a new 'challenge' — I definitely want to participate again. I don’t know exactly what form that will take, or if I’ll even be selected myself, but I intend to stay focused and keep working toward that next opportunity."
While the eight MLB players returned to their teams in Florida and Arizona, the rest of the players and staff departed Miami International Airport at 11:32am Sunday moring for the 14 hour flightback to Japan. They are due to arrive at Tokyo's Narita Airport at 14;58 Japan (1:58am Miami/Eastern) EDIT: JAL8809 touched down at 15:06 JT Live stream coverage of their arrival.
Going into the 2026 campaign NPB have made a few changes to its rules. Following the lead of MLB... - Bases are now 18 inches in diameter, increased from historically standard 15 inches. - Defensive shifts are no longer permitted. Before each pitch is thrown, two infielders must be positioned on either side of second base, and all four infielders must be positioned with both feet on the infield dirt. Recent MLB rule changes NOT being implemented by NPB: - Extra innings rule where each half-inning begins with a runner on second base (so-called 'ghost runner'). - Limit on pickoff attempts. - Pitch clock. - ABS "robo-umps" system.
Perhaps the most interesting change comes with a slight alteration to the post-season Climax Series format. First implemented by the Pacific League in 2004 and joined/unified by the Central League in 2007, the Climax Series features the top three teams from the final regular season standings in each league. It is played over two phases: Phase 1: First place (League champion/pennant winning) team receives a bye. Second and third place teams play a Best-of-3 series with the second place team hosting every game. Phase 2: First place winner plays the Phase 1 winner in a Best-of-7 series (first team to win 4 games) with the first place team hosting every game AND starting the series with a one-game win advantage (ghost win). Beginning this season the format has slightly modified which favors the first place teams even more. Phase 1: No changes Phase 2: If the first place team wins the pennant by at least 10 games in the standings, they will receive a two-win advantage (2 ghost wins) and the series becomes a Best-of-9 (first team to win 5 games). Likewise, if the Phase 1 winner finished the regular season with a sub-.500 record, the pennant winner will receive a two-win advantage (2 ghost wins) and the format becomes a best-of-9 . The goal of these changes is to try to maximize the merit of the teams competing in the Japan/Nippon Series. When determining the 'best' club in each league, club owners place higher value on the 143-game marathon regular season over on the two-week Climax Series. Detractors of the Climax Series format tend to cite the MLB playoff format, where the higher seeded team receives home field advantage by hosting a majority of the series (rather than the ENTIRE series) and no team receives any ghost wins (series begins 0-0). FWIW, a historical look. • League champions that finished at least 10 games ahead of second place in the standings: 7x Central League (2009, 2012, 2013, 2016, *2017, 2023, 2025) 6x Pacific League (2011, 2015, 2017, 2020 , 2023, 2024) *Did NOT advance to the Japan Series • 3rd place teams that finished with a sub .500 record: 7x Central League (2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022) 0x Pacific League (none advanced to the Japan Series)
"Super Professional Baseball ULTRA" is an annual event that is a sort of skills competition in various events involving two players (1 pitcher, 1 fielder) from each of the 12 NPB clubs. Filmed every December, it is then broadcast on Nippon TV in January on (roughly) the first Sunday of the New Year. Sports Navi visited the most recent filming of the event and asked the participants which teams/players they would like to face/beat during the 2026 NPB season. Yasunobu Okugawa (Swallows) - pitcher "I lost to Hanshin myself, and it made me realize how strong they really are. I want to get revenge in 2026" Yukihiro Iwata (Swallows) - outfielder "All the pitchers in NPB are good, so I want them to remember my name and think, 'I don't want to play here.'" Shuta Takano (Marines) - pitcher "Yuki Yanagita (Hawks). I walked him the last time we played, so next time I want to strike him out." Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) - outfielder "There are two: Chihiro Sumida (Lions) and Tomohisa Ohzeki (Hawks). I was completely defeated, so I need to think about a countermeasure." Daisuke Moriura (Carp) - pitcher "I want to shut down every single batter I face." Kaito Kozono (Carp) - infielder "Masaya Nishigaki (Eagles), my senior classmate from high school (Hotoku Gakuen). We're in different leagues (Central/Pacific) so it might be difficult to play against him, but I'd like to. How do I beat him? I don't know! (laughs)" Hiroshi Kaino (Lions) - pitcher (Rui Muneyama was walking by as he answered) "I want to beat Muneyama. We're rivals, even during this event." Seiya Watanabe (Lions) - outfielder "I'd say Nippon-Ham. They fell behind often but then turned the game around, giving the impression that they have a strong batting lineup. I want to hit well and help the team win." Takahiro Matsuba (Dragons) - pitcher "The Hanshin Tigers were strong, so we'll do our best not to lose to them. I think Takumu Nakano is a key player." Rintarō Tsujimoto (Dragons) - infielder "Hiroshima's Tsunehiro (Hayato), a pitcher from my draft class. I faced him with the farm team and I'd like to try hitting against him in the first team." Masaya Nishigaki (Eagles) - pitcher "There's no one specific I want to beat." Rui Muneyama (Eagles) - infielder "SoftBank and Nippon-Ham. We can't get any higher unless we beat those two teams. I think it all depends on whether we can beat them or not." Yuta Izuguchi (Giants) - infielder "No one in particular." Hiromasa Funabasama (Giants) - pitcher "I definitely want to beat the Hanshin Tigers. They won the championship. Their batting lineup is strong, and I was particularly beaten by Teruaki Sato. I'm motivated to hold them down." Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) - pitcher "I want to shut down every team and every batter." Sho Fukunaga (Buffaloes) - catcher "Hitting against a good pitcher will give me confidence, so I'll prepare myself to compete against the opposing team's ace pitcher or closer." Koh Nakagawa (BayStars) - pitcher "I've been hit by (Jose) Osuna of the Yakult Swallows, and I always pitch in the batting order that Osuna is up to bat so I'll be conscious of him. As a team, we lost to the Tigers and Giants, so I want to beat those two teams." Kouki Kajiwara (BayStars) - outfielkder "We were completely beaten against the Hanshin Tigers, lost a lot of games. They have good pitchers, so we need to break them down." Kota Tatsu (Fighters) - pitcher "Tyler Nevin of the Lions is my nemesis. He's been hitting my curveballs, so I want to use my curveballs to hold him back." Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) - infielder "Every team is strong, so I'll keep my guard up." Keito Mombetsu (Tigers) - pitcher "I'll do my best to hold down any batter I face." Nozomu Takatera (Tigers) - infielder "I'd like to hit against left-handed pitchers. In 2025 I only faced right-handed pitchers." Shunsuke Iwai (Hawks) - pitcher "We've been hit by Nippon Ham, so we want to keep them down." Yuto Kawamura (Hawks) - outfielder "I'd like to face Orix's Hiroya Miyagi. Everyone says he's brutal, so I'd like to see what kind of pitches he throws."
Sunday saw the completion of pre-season exhibition games. Yes, a standings table is kept. The Yomiuri Giants and Nippon-Ham Fighters tied for first place for the 'pre-season championship'. Opening Night is on Friday 27 March.
WBC Champions Venezuela had one player on their roster that plays in NPB. Andrés Machado received a hero's welcome when he returned to the Orix Buffaloes last week. Machado pitched relief in 6 of Venezuela's 7 games but is probably most remembered for surrendering the game tying 2-run home run to Bryce Harper in the 8th inning of the championship final. Other WBC participants were honored after they returned to Japan. RAKUTEN EAGLES Soma Fujihira YOMIURI GIANTS Taisei Ota Yoshinori Murata (coach) Yoshiyuki Kamei (coach) Alberto Baldonado (Panama) (Raidel Martínez was still in Cuba when ceremony took place.) SEIBU LIONS Chihiro Sumida Lin An-ko (Chinese Taipei) Sosuke Genda DeNA BAYSTARS Shugo Maki HANSHIN TIGERS Shota Morishita Teruaki Sato Seishiro Sakamoto ORIX BUFFALOES Andrés Machado (Venezuela) Kenya Wakatsuki Hiroya Miyagi Ryuhei Sotani
Raidel Martinez arrived in Japan on Wednesday. Moinelo expected by Thursday. Ariel Martinez joined the Fighters over the weekend which led to the speculations of Raidel and Livan possibly defecting but all seems to be clear now.