Los Angeles Dodger two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is not expected to pitch for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, though he jokingly left the door open to the possibility.
Asked on Sunday during the Dodgers’ spring training game against the San Diego Padres if there’s a chance he would volunteer to toe the rubber in another championship game against Team USA, the two-time National League Most Valuable Player responded with a hilarious quip.
“It’s hard to say, but if [Mike] Trout shows up, it’s tempting,” Ohtani answered via his interpreter Will Ireton.
In other words, fans shouldn’t expect to see Ohtani on the mound in the tournament, as Trout is not part of Team USA’s WBC roster.
But they will always have that iconic head-to-head in the 2023 edition of the WBC, where Ohtani memorably struck out his former Los Angeles Angels teammate to close out the championship game and give Japan the title.
Although he will not pitch for Japan this time around in the WBC, the 31-year-old Ohtani will still be a major cog for the reigning world champions. In 2023, he led Team Japan with a batting line of .435/.606/.739 to go with a home run, 10 walks and 8 RBIs in seven games.
