For the first time ever, Brazil will have a brazilian-born coach at the helm of its national baseball team heading the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto, who previously played for NPB’s Tokyo Yakult Swallows, has taken over the management of the group that will face one of the biggest challenges at the start of this year: qualifying once again for the WBC. The competition is also part of a larger and more ambitious project, aiming for a place at the Olympic Games that will take place in Los Angeles, in 2028.
After being part of the squad that helped Brazil to a historic result in 2013, Matsumoto returns to the national team more experienced. He was a professional baseball player for decades, playing mainly for the Swallows. After hanging up his cleats and announcing his retirement, he was given the opportunity to join the team as part of the coaching staff, a spot that he has been part of ever since.
In 2023, during preparations for the World Baseball Classic, he spoke to a Brazilian media outlet about the context of the Japanese national team and his dream of one day coaching Brazil.
Now, this project is beginning to take shape. The competition for the spot will take place between March 2nd and 6th in the United States. With a “homemade” coaching staff full of experience, as well as high odds on counting with some of the main players, Yuichi aims another historical run.
Returning to the national team was a dream for Matsumoto, but this was not an easy road. That’s because the coach has a contract with a professional team, which usually makes it difficult to have players and coaches free for call-ups.
“I actually received the invitation in August, when a youth national team from Brazil came to play in a tournament in Japan,”
At the time, he was invited by executives from the Brazilian Baseball and Softball Confederation. He accepted even though he didn’t know if he could or should.
“We were at an important point in the season and, as my contract is annual, I am pretty sure I should have talked about it beforehand. But since this was a big dream I had, I took the chance.”
photo: Tokyo Sports
The release process involved a letter from the Brazilian Confederation to the club, which is the same process players are required to do. However, there was a contract renewal still pending for Matsumoto. That ended up happening, as both the new contract was signed and he had the approval to coach the national squad.
Regarding the coaching staff that will accompany Matsumoto and Brazil will have names that are well-known to the Brazilian fans. The team has been completely overhauled and should bring some surprises to the qualifying competition.
Former MLB players André Rienzo and Paulo Orlando are expected to join the team – both are among the few Brazilians to have played in MLB.
“Rienzo is very close to the players who play in Brazil, and was a key-factor in putting the squad together. As for Paulo Orlando, he’s a star with a lot of respect among the players, something that generates confidence.”
Finally, the commission will also have three more names. Among them is Thiago Caldeira, who is the current president of CBBS and one of the coaches at the Yakult Training Center in Ibiúna-SP, where MLB is back to invest in player development.
Caldeira is the only name of the current coaching staff who was in Panama in 2022. This was when Brazil missed the chance to qualify for the Classic.
He is joined on the list by former pitcher Kleber Ojima, one of the main names in the history of baseball in Brazil.
Also joining the staff is Reinaldo Sato, a person Matsumoto trusts and who also works professionally as a coach in Japan. The two were together on the 2013 national team that qualified for the WBC.
One of Matsumoto’s strengths is his proximity to players, especially those who play in Japan.
This group is highlighted by pitcher Bo Takahashi, of the Seibu Lions – an important name for any aspiration that Brazilian baseball has on the international scene. In addition, Matsumoto had a close following of Brazil’s results for quite some time.
“I’ve been very focused on the game ever since talks started. I had already watched the Pan-American Games in 2023 and the last Classic in 2022, as well as the South American Championship and the Taça Brasil this year.”
That’s because Brazil has the background of a good part of the group playing local baseball, which is amateur, but also a strong reinforcement among professional players in the leagues in the USA, Asia, and the Caribbean Winter Leagues.
The official call-up is scheduled for January 25th, when the final squad will be announced. The group should include some foreigners, such as pitcher Enzo Sawayama (born in Japan) and Venezuelan players who live in Brazil. The tournament rules allow foreigners to represent a country in cases such as family ties (children or grandchildren) or residence.
“As we saw in the Taça Brasil, we have good players from other countries that are currently playing in Brazil. The biggest problem is the paperwork and documents, which can’t always be sorted out in time. But if everything is alright and the player is in good condition, we can count on him.”
One of those said players is Venezuelan pitcher Hector Villarroel, who played for Brazil in the 2022 WBC Qualifier.
The group’s preparation will include a period of practices in Brazil, as well as a training session in the USA before the competition.
“We want at least a few days to get all the players together, especially for those who play abroad to have contact with the locals.”
The gathering will take place at the Yakult Training Center in February.
Regarding the team, Matsumoto emphasizes that the fans can expect an aggressive group that knows how to play smart.
“I’ve already made it clear that I’m not the type that saves a pitcher for the next game. I want to solve everything in the least amount of games.”
Brazil will play against Germany, China, and Colombia. The Colombians beat Brazil at the Pan-American Games in Santiago in 2023 and went on to win the gold medal.
“The qualifier is a short tournament with a lot of pressure. We have to prepare a lot mentally. And there are areas of the team that we’ll be working on intelligently.”
The offensive part of the national team has been the target of complaints in recent years, due to the results of the WBC qualifier in 2022. In the South American qualifier in 2024, Brazil lost twice against Argentina, this includes the championship game.
“We have to score points, not just by shooting from distance. The difficulty of scoring points isn’t just Brazil’s…But what I have to say is that we’re experienced and know how to use our heads. The other teams can expect aggression from us.”
Photo: MLB
Brazil takes to the field on March 2nd against Colombia. The qualifier for the World Baseball Classic will take place in Tucson, Ariz. The two best teams advance to the main tournament in 2026.
