Shohei Ohtani Makes Major World Baseball Classic Announcement
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reveals two-way star will skip pitching duties for Team Japan in upcoming tournament.
Shohei Ohtani is the biggest star in baseball, and one of his biggest and most memorable moments came during the World Baseball Classic.
In an all-time, instantly legendary moment, Ohtani was trying to close out the 2023 tournament for Team Japan by facing his then-Angels teammate, future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. The score was 3-2, top of the ninth inning, final out of the game, two of the best players to ever play baseball, Ohtani and Trout. And, of course, the count goes full before Ohtani gets Trout swinging on a vicious 87-mph sweeper.
Without question, the most iconic moment of the World Baseball Classic tournament, and one that cemented how much the tournament means to those who play in it. Well, it's back, set to return in March for the 2026 edition. And unfortunately, as we learned on Saturday, Ohtani won't be able to recreate that magical at bat.
Japan relief pitcher Shohei Ohtani celebrates after defeating Team USA to win the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park. (Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
Ohtani Won't Pitch In World Baseball Classic, Team Announces
At the Los Angeles Dodgers preseason rally on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts told the media that Ohtani had decided not to pitch for Team Japan in this year's tournament.
Roberts thought it was the right call, and from a player health and performance standpoint, it is. But it's still disappointing that Ohtani won't be able to hit and pitch in what's become a must-see tournament.
It's also become obvious that the Dodgers intend to focus on rest and recovery in the upcoming 2026 season, which likely played into his thinking. Already, this week, it was reported that Blake Snell will likely not start the season on the active roster, after dealing with injuries in 2025 and a long postseason run. They may turn to a six-man rotation to give Yoshinobu Yamamoto extra rest after starting the season in Japan in mid-March, then finishing out the World Series on zero days rest in early-November.
The only downside of making deep postseason runs is a much shorter offseason, something LA's now dealt with two years in a row. It all makes sense. But it certainly won't make baseball fans, who want to see the best in the business in the WBC, happy.