Japan World Baseball Classic roster: Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish headline 2023 WBC team
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- 17 Feb 2023
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One of the host countries for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Japan boasts an especially exciting roster.
While Shohei Ohtani is, of course, the headliner, there are plenty of other players to watch from the only two-time World Baseball Classic champions. Japan won the first two iterations of the WBC, reestablishing itself as a baseball superpower, and it is one of the favorites to win once again in 2023.
Alongside Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Seiya Suzuki, Lars Nootbaar, and Masataka Yoshida round out the MLB presence. The 21-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki, however, will finally get his time on the world stage. Sasaki retired an absurd 51 straight batters over two of his starts for the Chiba Lotte Marines last season, with the first of those starts resulting in the 16th perfect game in NPB history and the first since 1994.
On the batting side, Munetaka Murakami will provide a lot of pop at the plate. Murakami had 56 home runs last season with the Yakult Swallows, a record for a Japanese-born player. Japan is in Group B in Tokyo for its pool play, and the Tokyo Dome will also host quarterfinal games before the semifinal and championships rounds in the United States.
Japan World Baseball Classic 2023 roster
Team Japan has a slightly unconventional build to its roster, carrying 15 pitchers (including Ohtani), three catchers, eight infielders, and just four outfielders.
Many of their fielders are able to play multiple positions in a utility role, with some players such as the Cubs' Seiya Suzuki being able to play either infield or outfield. Then, of course, there's the two-way star in Ohtani, who will DH from the left side of the plate in addition to pitching. Read More…
