Japan was lethal during pool play, winning all four games thanks largely to its offensive firepower at the plate. They will look to continue that trend in the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals against Venezuela with a batting order led by Shohei Ohtani, who enters the matchup hitting .556.
But Ohtani is not the only dangerous bat in the lineup. Batting second is Teruaki Sato, who comes in with a .333 average and a 1.167 OPS, while the third spot belongs to outfielder Seiya Suzuki, also hitting .333 and well rested after sitting out Japan’s final pool-stage game.
During pool play, Japan not only finished undefeated but also was the second team with most runs scored with 34. Venezuela already struggled against a high-scoring team in the tournament when it faced the Dominican Republic, a lineup that piled up 41 runs during that same stage.
Japan batting order vs. Venezuela
Masataka Yoshida anchors the middle of the lineup, and Venezuela cannot afford to overlook him. He enters the game hitting .500 and, playing in the outfield this time, should see more plate appearances than in Japan’s last pool-stage game against Czechia, when he recorded one hit in two at-bats.
- DH Shohei Ohtani
- RF Teruaki Sato
- CF Seiya Suzuki
- LF Masataka Yoshida
- 3B Kazuma Okamoto
- 1B Munetaka Murakami
- 2B Shugo Maki
- SS Sosuke Genda
- C Kenya Wakatsuki
see also
2026 World Baseball Classic bracket and quarterfinals schedule set with Team USA facing Canada
Okamoto and Murakami round out the first six hitters in Japan’s quarterfinal lineup. So far in the tournament, Okamoto has produced one run, two hits and one RBI while striking out three times. Murakami delivered four RBIs in five at-bats during Japan’s final pool-stage game, though he enters the quarterfinal hitting .200.
The bottom of Japan’s lineup is far from weak. Maki enters the game with a .222 average and a .639 OPS, while Genda has been nearly as dangerous as the top hitters, carrying a .571 average. Wakatsuki also contributed in his most recent game for Japan, recording a hit and scoring a run.
