TOKYO (AP) — It’s officially been named the World Baseball Classic. But for Japan’s Group C competition, according to Shohei Ohtani, let’s just call it the world.
Life-size images of Ohtani are dotted throughout the Tokyo Dome, and an adjacent merchandise center is filled with racks of Ohtani jerseys — about $125 each. Japan will face Taiwan on Friday, along with South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic.
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Japan is the defending champion and is expected to earn one of two spots in the quarterfinals against the United States.
Ohtani missed batting practice Wednesday, no doubt disappointing the hundreds of fans who were at the stadium in anticipation of the game. He’s just saving himself, going 0-for-5 since arriving in Japan and participating in exhibition games against Japan League teams.
“Every time I join (the Japanese team), there are younger and younger players – the younger players are increasing,” Ohtani said in Japanese at a brief new conference.
“So I feel like I’m getting older,” the 31-year-old superstar added.
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The Japanese team is not only the favorite to advance, but also has the possibility of meeting the American team again in the Miami final. Three years ago, Japan beat the United States 3-2, with Ohtani striking out Mike Trout to end a dramatic game that gave the WBC a huge boost in popularity.
Ohtani is expected to pitch only for Japan, rather than pitch, as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to retain him this season. But before leaving spring training in Arizona, he left the door slightly ajar.
Asked if he would try to pitch, he responded: “It’s hard to say. But if (Mike) Trout shows up, it would be tempting,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.
Trout will not play for Team USA this time due to insurance issues, leaving several players on the sidelines.
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Travis Bazzana will serve as second baseman for Australia. He was selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the first player from his country to hold that position.
Ohtani is his role model, as is so many other young players.
“I personally believe he’s the greatest of all time,” Bazana said. “He embodies the work ethic and craftsmanship that goes into the game of baseball. That’s someone I respect, but when it comes to the game a few days later, you can’t focus on the player on the other side of the field.”
The Japanese team has a strong batting lineup led by Ohtani and other MLB superstars Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Seiya Suzuki. The pitching staff has lost some stars since 2023, including Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish.
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The pitching anchor will be World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani’s teammate with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“This is an opportunity to go against the best team in the world, and it’s a special event against Ohtani,” said Dave Nilsson, the former All-Star catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and head coach of the Australian team.
“This will be a big moment for the fans and for Japan,” Nelson added. “We’re not going to get caught up in the juggling act.”
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Associated Press MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
