Samurai Japan Ready to Play: National Baseball Team for the 2026 WBC

Play Ball!

The World Baseball Classic, held every three years, pits national teams from baseball-loving countries against one another in a two-week tournament. This year, it runs from March 5 through March 18, Japan time, with games played in Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States.

In 2023 the Japanese team, known as Samurai Japan, defeated the United States in an electric final, ending with pitcher/hitter Ohtani Shōhei on the mound, striking out his then-teammate on the Los Angeles Angels, Mike Trout, to clinch the trophy. Now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani is back this time as a designated hitter, along with teammate Yamamoto Yoshinobu, who takes the mound coming off of his pitching heroics that helped propel the Dodgers to a second straight World Series championship last fall.

In all, eight Japanese players on Major League teams will take the field for Samurai Japan, with the rest coming from Nippon Professional Baseball squads. At the helm is Ibata Hirokazu, who has managed the national team since replacing Kuriyama Hideki in 2023, following the team’s WBC championship.

Japan plays in the Tokyo Pool round against Chinese Taipei (March 6), South Korea (March 7), Australia (March 8), and Czechia (March 10). Success there will send the team on to the knockout rounds to be played in Houston, Texas, and Miami, Florida, where Japanese fans are hoping to see the Samurai squad in the championship game on March 17 local time.

Samurai Japan’s 2026 Roster

Coaching Staff

• Ibata Hirokazu, manager
• Kaneko Makoto, bench coach
• Murata Yoshinori, bullpen coach
• Nōmi Atsushi, pitching coach
• Yoshimi Kazuki, pitching coach
• Soyogi Eishin, third base coach
• Kamei Yoshiyuki, first base coach
• Matsuda Nobuhiro, game planning coach

Pitchers

• Miyagi Hiroya, left hander, Orix Buffaloes
• Itō Hiromi, right hander, Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters
• Ōta Taisei, right hander, Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
• Kikuchi Yūsei, left hander, Los Angeles Angels
• Yamamoto Yoshinobu, right hander, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Sugano Tomoyuki, right hander, Colorado Rockies
• Sumida Chihiro, left hander, Saitama Seibu Lions
• Kanemaru Yumeto, left hander, Chūnichi Dragons
• Taneichi Atsuki, right hander, Chiba Lotte Marines
• Takahashi Hiroto, right hander, Chūnichi Dragons
• Fujihira Shōma, right hander, Tōhoku Rakuten Eagles
• Sotani Ryūhei, left hander, Orix Buffaloes
• Kitayama Kōki, right hander, Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters
• Matsumoto Yūki, right hander, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks

Catchers

• Wakatsuki Ken’ya, Orix Buffaloes
• Sakamoto Seishirō, Hanshin Tigers
• Nakamura Yūhei, Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Infielders

• Maki Shūgo, Yokohama DeNA BayStars
• Kozono Kaito, Hiroshima Tōyō Carp
• Makihara Taisei, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
• Genda Sōsuke, Saitama Seibu Lions
• Satō Teruaki, Hanshin Tigers
• Okamoto Kazuma, Toronto Blue Jays
• Murakami Munetaka, Chicago White Sox

Outfielders

• Kondō Kensuke, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
• Shūtō Ukyō, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
• Morishita Shōta, Hanshin Tigers
• Yoshida Masataka, Boston Red Sox
• Suzuki Seiya, Chicago Cubs

Designated Hitter

• Ohtani Shōhei, Los Angeles Dodgers

Data Sources

• Japan Roster and Staff from Major League Baseball
• List of Players from the Japan National Baseball Team

(Originally published in English. Banner photo: Ohtani Shōhei, at center in the bottom row, and other members of Samurai Japan on March 4, 2026, at Tokyo Dome. © Jiji.)