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Samurai Japan Adds MLB Stars as It Prepares for WBC Title Defense
Japan named seven Major League Baseball players including World Series MVP Yamamoto and two-way star Ohtani to defend their record third World Baseball Classic title.
- On Monday, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined Los Angeles Dodgers team-mate Shohei Ohtani on Samurai Japan's finalized World Baseball Classic roster as defending champions managed by Hirokazu Ibata.
- As defending champions, Japan are assembling Samurai Japan to defend their 2023 World Baseball Classic title, with Hirokazu Ibata, Japan manager, saying they are 'only thinking about winning the title.'
- Reports list either seven or eight current MLB players on the roster, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished the 2023 WBC with a 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts over 7.1 innings; he said, `I feel a great sense of responsibility to represent Japan again`.
- Club concerns about pitching workload intersect with spring training schedules, as pitchers and catchers must report by Feb. 11 and position players by Feb. 12 before the Los Angeles Dodgers' first Spring Training workout on Friday, Feb. 13.
- Assigned to Pool C, Japan will play first-round games at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10, with Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto added and Roki Sasaki excluded after injury.
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Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins Team Japan’s WBC rotation
Team Japan announced Monday that Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will lead its rotation during the World Baseball Classic on March 5.Yamamoto posted a 12-8 record with a 2.49 ERA during the 2025 regular season to earn third place in the National League Cy Young Award balloting, then he collected five postseason victories that included Games 2, 6 and 7 in the World Series."(Yamamoto) is Japan's top pitcher," Team Japan manager Hirokazu…
Dodgers stars lead Japan, reigning champion, in the World Classic
Coverage Details
Total News Sources49
Leaning Left8Leaning Right8Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Center
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources are Center
41% Center
L 30%
C 41%
R 29%
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