Shohei Ohtani is certainly one of the most dangerous hitters in Japan’s lineup at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. However, he will not be pitching for his national team in order to avoid overworking his arm before the start of the 2026 MLB season.
Ohtani explained in March 2026 that he planned to be careful with his workload during the WBC while playing for Japan, confirming that he would not take the mound. He also noted that the decision had already been discussed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and everyone was in agreement.
“As of now, playing as a pitcher in the WBC is not happening,” Ohtani said in March. “That is also a promise made with the [Dodgers], and there’s a part of it that feels like it’s about showing sincerity toward the organization that willingly sent me off. I think it’s best to first contribute solidly on the offensive side.”
Ohtani focused on the MLB season
Dodgers fans have recently seen Ohtani working on the mound again, he was seen pitching in June 2025, but that will not be the case with Japan during the 2026 WBC. A few days before the tournament began, he explained that he has only been using his arm during training sessions.
“I’ve been proceeding with my own adjustments as a pitcher in parallel with the tournament,” Ohtani said after a training pitching session with Japan. “I think it produced good results in both volume and quality. So I feel that I’m preparing well for the new season.”
Japan’s rotation and bullpen are considered strong enough to support the team, which is another reason Ohtani will not pitch in the World Baseball Classic. “I want to do the job that I can do. Even without me pitching, Team Japan has wonderful pitchers. We’ve already seen that in the Tokyo round…”
During the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ohtani did pitch for Japan and delivered an outstanding performance. He finished the tournament with a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous arms in the event while also producing at the plate with a .435 batting average.