You're already preparing for the Korea-Japan match until the end of Wow Untouchables? Start adjusting to the ball

Oct 20, 2025

You're already preparing for the Korea-Japan match until the end of Wow Untouchables? Start adjusting to the ball
Daisei Ota, a member of the Yomiuri Giants who played as the closing pitcher for the Japanese national team in Premier 12. Sports Chosun DB



The best players in the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) have started preparing for the Korea-Japan warm-up match early.

The best members are preparing, including Shinya Matsuyama, the No. 1 NPB save.

Among the NPB teams that left the postseason stage, key players who will play in the warm-up match between South Korea and Japan at Tokyo Dome on the 15th and 16th of next month have begun full-fledged practice.




According to Japanese media such as 'Chunichi Sports' on the 19th, Chunichi Dragons closer Shinya Matsuyama pitched his first bullpen session since the end of the season at Nagoya's home stadium.

It is a training exercise thoroughly prepared for the Korea-Japan war. Matsuyama has already pitched the bullpen using a public ball to be used in next month's warm-up match. He threw 22 pitches using Rawlings' ball on the day. In an interview with local media, Matsuyama said, "I felt very slippery when I threw a fork ball" he said.

Right-hander Matsuyama, who sprays up to 157 kilometers of fastballs, has made 46 saves this season, emerging as Chunichi's new closer. Along with Martinez of the Yomiuri Giants, he tied for first place in saves in the Central League.




Chihiro Sumida, a left-hander of the Seibu Lions, and Daisei Ota of the Yomiuri Giants also entered training. Smida used Rawlings' official ball to throw 55 pitches during team training.

You're already preparing for the Korea-Japan match until the end of Wow Untouchables? Start adjusting to the ball
Chunichi Dragons closer Shinya Matsuyama. Photo = Chunichi Dragons Official SNS
The rest of the players have already started training. Not only major pitchers, but also Murakami Munetaka and Okamoto Kazuma, who are likely to advance to the Major League this time, are expected to be dispatched. This means that all the best NPB players will play in the warm-up match. Except for Shohei Ohtani and other active major leaguers, most of them appear.

No matter how much it is a warm-up match, Ryu Ji-hyun's Korean baseball team, which has to deal with the NPB's best players, has created a quite strained atmosphere.




The reason why Japanese players are taking the lead in a de facto warm-up match is to be selected for next year's World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team. Japan won the WBC two years ago by beating the U.S. in the final with Ohtani as the best member, and most of the key members are expected to participate next year.

For Japanese players, it is a great honor to be selected for the WBC national team. It means that it will be a stage of glory to play with Ohtani and to receive the attention of major league clubs.

Players are also considering the Korea-Japan warm-up match as the final selection stage for the WBC national team.

In an interview with 'Sponichi Annex', Smida said "My weapon seems to be the fact that it is a left-hander who can strike out. I want to appeal through this warm-up match because I think the acceptance of the WBC is still undecided" expressed confidence.

Matsuyama, who is considered a candidate for the closing pitcher of the national team along with Daisei, is very happy about the story that he is a candidate for the closing pitcher of the national team. I want to block it well and aim for it"I vowed.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.