Japan announces the third batch of Classic Tournament roster, with MLB players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto confirmed to participate

On December 26, 2025, the Samurai Japan squad for the 2026 6th World Baseball Classic released their first set of 8 players. Except for the two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the remaining seven are pitchers. The jersey numbers for all eight were shared, with Ohtani set to wear Japan’s number 16 again.

The initial roster features three MLB players: two-way star Shohei Ohtani, left-handed pitchers Yusei Kikuchi and Yuki Matsui. Additionally, five Nippon Professional Baseball players were selected: Hiromi Ito, Taisei Ohsu, Atsuhiro Taneichi, Kaima Taira, and Daichi Ishii.

Japan’s head coach Hirokazu Ibata stated, "We are announcing some of the members who will represent ‘Samurai Japan’ in the Classic. We sincerely thank every player and all team staff for their support. The rest of the roster will be revealed gradually after confirming players’ physical conditions and coordinating with their respective teams." He added, "As top players from various countries continue to confirm participation, we expect this tournament to be extremely competitive, but our team is actively building a roster aiming to defend the title."

Entering the new year, on January 16, Japan announced a second batch of 11 players, including veteran Tomoyuki Sugano and the 2025 Central League MVP Teruaki Sato. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks had three players selected in this group, leaving 11 roster spots still open for the ‘Samurai Japan’ squad.

On January 26, 2026, Japan released another list of 10 players, confirming Dodgers ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s participation! Currently, out of the 30 players named, one player remains pending final confirmation due to administrative procedures and will be announced later.

Among the 10 newly added players, there are four MLB athletes: Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto, White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami, and Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki. This brings the total number of MLB players on Japan’s Classic roster to eight, setting a new team record.

The 29-player roster for Japan in the 2026 6th World Baseball Classic (with one spot still to be determined):

Two-way player (1):

#16 Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers, RHP/LHB)

Pitchers (14):

#1 Yuki Matsui (San Diego Padres, LHP/LHB)

#13 Hiroya Miyagi (Orix Buffaloes, LHP/LHB)

#14 Hiromi Ito (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, RHP/LHB)

#15 Taisei Ohsu (Yomiuri Giants, RHP/RHB)

#17 Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels, LHP/LHB)

#18 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers, RHP/RHB)

#19 Tomoyuki Sugano (Free Agent, RHP/RHB)

#26 Atsuhiro Taneichi (Chiba Lotte Marines, RHP/RHB)

#28 Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons, RHP/RHB)

#47 Ryōhei Sogaya (Orix Buffaloes, LHP/LHB)

#57 Wataru Kitayama (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, RHP/RHB)

#61 Kaima Taira (Saitama Seibu Lions, RHP/LHB)

#66 Yuki Matsumoto (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, RHP/LHB)

#69 Daichi Ishii (Hanshin Tigers, RHP/RHB)

Catchers (3):

#4 Kenya Wakatsuki (Orix Buffaloes, RHP/RHB)

#12 Seishiro Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers, RHP/RHB)

#27 Yuhei Nakamura (Tokyo Yakult Swallows, RHP/RHB)

Infielders (7):

#2 Shugo Maki (Orix Buffaloes, RHP/RHB)

#3 Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Toyo Carp, RHP/LHB)

#5 Taisei Makihara (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, RHP/LHB)

#6 Sosuke Genda (Saitama Seibu Lions, RHP/LHB)

#7 Teruaki Sato (Hanshin Tigers, RHP/LHB)

#25 Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays, RHP/RHB)

#55 Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox, RHP/LHB)

Outfielders (4):

#8 Kensuke Kondo (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, RHP/LHB)

#20 Ukyo Shuto (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, RHP/LHB)

#23 Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers, RHP/RHB)

#51 Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs, RHP/RHB)