Japan faces Venezuela in quarterfinals with Yamamoto starting and Kikuchi following

The quarterfinal lineup for the 2026 Sixth World Baseball Classic is now finalized. The defending champion Samurai Japan will face Venezuela, known for its powerful offense. Manager Hirokazu Ibata announced that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start, with Yusei Kikuchi expected to take over as the second starter.

Due to the 80-pitch limit in quarterfinal games, a relay pitching strategy is necessary. In the March 6 game against Taiwan, Yamamoto pitched 2.2 innings with no hits or runs allowed; in the March 7 game against Korea, Kikuchi pitched 3 innings and conceded 3 runs before exiting. Japan will rely on Yamamoto and Kikuchi, who are familiar with MLB hitters, followed by relievers such as Atsuki Tanemichi, Naoshi Fujihira, Yuki Matsumoto, and Taisei, who are in excellent form.

Regarding pitching arrangements beyond the quarterfinals, Manager Hirokazu Ibata stated, "If we lose, it's over, so we will continuously deploy pitchers." For the semifinal starter, Tomoyuki Sugano, who started against Australia on March 8, is currently favored.

Additionally, Venezuela announced that left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez will start. Suárez, in Game 3 of the 2025 NL Division Series between the Phillies and the Dodgers, pitched 5 innings as the second starter, allowing 5 hits and 1 run, successfully containing Shohei Ohtani, who went 0-for-3. In a regular-season matchup on September 15, 2025, Suárez faced Ohtani again, with Ohtani recording 1 hit in 2 at-bats and drawing one walk.

Another Japanese power hitter, Seiya Suzuki, has faced Suárez in 8 plate appearances, recording 2 hits and drawing two walks, with a batting average of .333, an on-base percentage of .500, a slugging percentage of .667, and an OPS of 1.167. For Suárez, Suzuki is considered one of the more challenging batters to handle.