Oh my god, the Japanese national team is in trouble…Can't Otani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki WBC come out

Nov 15, 2025

Oh my god, the Japanese national team is in trouble…Can't Otani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki WBC come out
오타니 쇼헤이. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesYonhap News



The Japanese baseball team's top of the foot has fallen. It is expected that it will be difficult for the three major leaguers who believed in it.

The Japanese baseball team won the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) by beating the U.S. in the final with the strongest members of all time, including Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese national baseball team, which has maintained its No. 1 ranking in the men's baseball world, reached its peak by beating the U.S., which is full of major leaguers, to the top in the WBC.

However, there is a high possibility that Ohtani will not be called up at the WBC, which will be held in March next year. Ohtani and Yamamoto, who collaborated to win the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series for the second consecutive year, and Roki Sasaki, who showed his potential as a closer in the postseason after a lackluster regular season this year. They are currently leading the Dodgers' craze in Japan.




Hirokazu Ibata, manager of the Japanese national baseball team, visited the Dodgers spring camp site in February this year and had a meeting with the players and kept in touch. In February, when he met coach Ibata, Ohtani said positively about his participation in the WBC, `It would be an honor if you could choose,' but at a press conference on the eve of this year's All-Star Game, he changed his attitude to a cautious attitude, saying, `I'm going to think about March next year after the end of this year.'

Oh my god, the Japanese national team is in trouble…Can't Otani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki WBC come out
Ohtani (from left)-Yamamoto-Sasaki who is delighted after confirming the World Series victory. AP Yonhap News
On top of that, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently appeared on a Japanese program, saying, `It is up to the players to decide whether to play in the WBC or not. If they want to participate, I'll apply with all my might"And yet "I personally don't want Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki to participate."He confessed his intentions.

The reason is that I take care of my condition. The WBC takes place in March. It is on the verge of the opening of the regular season. Therefore, players have to build their physical bodies nearly a month earlier than usual, and the key is accumulating fatigue and preventing injuries.




In the case of Ohtani, he returned to the second class this year, but next year, he wants a more complete condition to be able to play the starting pitcher and designated hitter at the same time from the opening game. Yamamoto threw so many pitches this year that the accumulated fatigue is deep, raising concerns that he will start early by next season. On top of that, as Sasaki also showed great ups and downs this year, it is judged that playing in the WBC could be difficult.

Oh my god, the Japanese national team is in trouble…Can't Otani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki WBC come out
오타니 쇼헤이. AP Yonhap News
In addition, according to Japanese media reports, the Dodgers also have negative thoughts on Ohtani and Yamamoto's participation in the WBC. Even if the players' will become strong, there is a possibility that there will be a strict limit on the number of pitches and innings.

The Japanese national team is aiming to win its second consecutive WBC championship. The U.S. national team is also determined by Japan, as top major league stars such as Aaron Judge, Paul Skins, and California have announced their participation this year. However, if Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki are not called up, they will be somewhat relieved. Winning can be difficult.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.