Shohei Ohtani announces he will play for Japan in next year s World Baseball Classic
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Shohei Ohtani announces he will play for Japan in next year s World Baseball ClassicOhtani helped Japan win the 2023 WBC, striking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out of the championship game against the United States. He was named MVP of the tournament.
Shohei Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.Ohtani announced on Instagram that he'll represent Japan again in next March's international showcase. The 31-year-old generational superstar helped deliver Japan the 2023 World Baseball Classic title, punctuating it with one of the defining moments of his career when he struck out Mike Trout to end the tournament. It's unclear whether he'll take the mound this time around, but his mere presence makes the event mandatory viewing -- the kind of gravitational sports moment you rearrange your schedule around without thinking twice.
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