As Caribbean Series debutants, Japan Breeze entered the tournament with low expectations and was a complete unknown to most fans. The first team ever to be invited to the Caribbean Series without participating in a winter league season, Japan Breeze’s lone game was a 3-1 loss to the Venezuelan League All-Stars in December.
The team’s roster – composed primarily of Japanese independent leaguers with a few former NPB players and those with overseas experience – faced an uphill battle against some of Latin America’s top competition.
Two losses in two days make the path to the knockout stage even more difficult for the Alex Ramirez-led side, but there have been some positive takeaways in the 18 innings thus far.
Shuto Sakurai’s Journey Back to NPB – Shuto Sakurai, who last pitched in NPB as recently as July 2024, got the start for the Breeze in their opener against Leones del Escogido, representing the Dominican Republic, one of the tournament favorites. He tossed two scoreless innings to begin his day.
However, things quickly unraveled for the 2017 fifth-round draft pick as he issued three walks, a single, and a pair of wild pitches in the third to concede four runs. Sakurai had primarily been deployed as a low-leverage reliever or lefty specialist for most of his professional career in Japan, and going through the powerhouse Dominican order for a second time proved to be a step too far.
Leones went on to win the game, 12-1. Still, the opportunity to start in such a high-caliber game will help Sakurai, who is documenting his journey on YouTube, get back on the right track toward securing a contract with a new team in Japan.
Isaki Ninomiya Makes a Strong Impression – Meijo University product Isaki Ninomiya began his career in the Japanese independent baseball circuit in 2021, debuting with the now-defunct Ryukyu Blue Oceans in Okinawa before joining the Ibaraki Astro Planets in the well-known Baseball Challenge League, where many players graduate to the NPB Draft annually.
In 2024, Ninomiya signed with the Kufu Hayate Ventures, an unaffiliated expansion minor league team under the NPB umbrella. There, he led the club in innings pitched (110 ⅓) while posting a 3.18 ERA and recording 83 strikeouts, bringing him one step closer to reaching the big stage.
The 26-year-old was tasked with the start against Indios de Mayaguez for Japan Breeze’s second game, dazzling his way through the first four innings, holding the Puerto Rican side hitless until the bottom of the fifth when his day game to an end after allowing two runs.
Japan Breeze ultimately fell by a score of 3-2, but Ninomiya’s performance kept them in the game and provided him with valuable international exposure.
Kawasaki with an RBI single to cut the lead to one!! #SerieDelCaribe2025 pic.twitter.com/jVz5FJLaA9
— World Baseball Network (@WorldBaseball_) February 2, 2025
Munenori Kawasaki Keeping Spirits High – One of the biggest surprises and highest-profile additions to the Japan Breeze squad was 43-year-old Munenori Kawasaki. A fan favorite during his MLB days with the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs – and considered one of the best NPB infielders of the 2000s – Kawasaki’s passion for the game has never waned.
After departing the SoftBank Hawks in 2018, he took on a player-coach role with the Wei Chuan Dragons of the CPBL in 2019. Since 2020, the two-time WBC winner has continued to lace up his cleats for the Tochigi Golden Braves of the Baseball Challenge League.
The veteran started the opener, where he notched a bunt single in classic Kawasaki style, then came off the bench in Game 2, delivering a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning that nearly sparked a Breeze comeback rally.
Kawasaki’s leadership, jolly clubhouse presence, and timely hitting have already proven invaluable for a group that has had far less time to build chemistry compared to its opponents.
Future Outlook – Japan Breeze will need to pick up a win against Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco or Venezuela’s Cardenales de Lara in its final two games to have a shot of qualifying for the knockout stage. As they eye a return to the 2026 Caribbean Series – likely joined by a new invitee from Korea – the team’s progress, or lack thereof, will be evident on the field. Ramirez’s initiative continues to open doors for Japanese players competing outside NPB, and even a single victory in the tournament could go a long way toward legitimizing Japan’s underrated talent on the global stage.
Photo: The Japan Breeze players talk outside the dugout before their game against Puerto Rico. (Photo Courtesy of CBPC)
