The Japanese senior national team has announced its 28-man roster for the upcoming RAXUS Samurai Japan Series against Korea, scheduled to take place from Nov. 15-16 at the Tokyo Dome.
These games serve as the final showcase for players ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic roster announcement.
While manager Hirokazu Ibata’s current roster choices by no means guarantee his final WBC selections, when viewed alongside his past teams, they offer insight into some of his preferences as several key roster battles remain unresolved ahead of next March’s grand tournament.
Headlining the roster are superstar hitters Shugo Maki (DeNA BayStars), Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants), and Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers). Notable omissions include Munetaka Murakami (Yakult Swallows), Kensuke Kondoh (SoftBank Hawks), and Teruaki Sato (Hanshin Tigers).
Murakami, expected to be posted to Major League Baseball this offseason, may have declined his invitation. The same could apply to Kondoh, who has dealt with injuries this year, and Sato, coming off a career-best campaign and a home run title. All of them are widely viewed as locks for the WBC roster.
Japan is, somewhat surprisingly, carrying four backstops for just the two games: Yukinori Kishida (Yomiuri Giants), Seishiro Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers), Kenya Wakatsuki (Orix Buffaloes), and Yuhei Nakamura (Yakult Swallows). Notably absent are Shogo Sakakura (Hiroshima Carp) and Yuudai Yamamoto (DeNA BayStars), both of whom had become regular fixtures on recent national teams. Nakamura, who caught the final out of the 2023 WBC, likely joins as a veteran leader to mentor the new guard.
Shortstop remains one of the biggest question marks, with only three players on the roster capable of handling the position: Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Carp), Isami Nomura (SoftBank Hawks), and Itsuki Murabayashi (Rakuten Eagles). Kozono appears to be the frontrunner for the job, coming off a batting title and a strong showing at the Premier12 last year. None of them, however, started more than 72 games at short this season, and all graded out below average defensively, leaving some fans questioning the omission of Giants breakout hitter Yuta Izuguchi.
Nippon-Ham Fighters outfielder Ryota Isobata’s inclusion is also noteworthy, as his potential role as a late-game pinch-runner overlaps with that of Ukyo Shuto (SoftBank Hawks). Ibata valued Isobata’s speed and defense during the Premier12. Including him, Japan has only three true outfielders, though Taisei Makihara (SoftBank Hawks), listed as an infielder, offers flexibility across multiple positions.
Of course, Japan is deeper on the mound than nearly any nation in the world, and that depth is on full display again here with front-line starters such as Koki Kitayama (Nippon-Ham Fighters), Atsuki Taneichi (Lotte Marines), Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons), Chihiro Sumida (Seibu Lions), and Hiromi Itoh (Nippon-Ham Fighters), the Nippon Professional Baseball strikeout king this season. Inexperienced arms such as Yumeto Kanemaru (Chunichi Dragons) and Ryuhei Sotani (Orix Buffaloes) also made the roster, emphasizing Ibata’s willingness to look towards the future.
Elite relievers, including Shinya Matsuyama (Chunichi Dragons), Taisei (Yomiuri Giants), Kaima Taira (Seibu Lions), Yuki Matsumoto (SoftBank Hawks), Masaki Oyokawa (Hanshin Tigers), and Naoto Nishiguchi (Rakuten Eagles), are all strong candidates for the WBC team.
Several top pitchers, including Tatsuya Imai (Seibu Lions), Shunpeita Yamashita (Orix Buffaloes), Hiroya Miyagi (Orix Buffaloes), and Hiroto Saiki (Hanshin Tigers), were not selected. However, factors such as workload management, offseason rest, and their participation in previous international competitions possibly influenced those decisions.
Ibata succeeded Hideki Kuriyama following Japan’s unforgettable 2023 WBC triumph over Team USA and has since managed two major tournaments, the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship and the 2024 WBSC Premier12. Japan placed first in the APBC and entered the Premier12 gold-medal game unbeaten, but suffered a shocking loss to Chinese Taipei, ending a 27-game winning streak dating back to 2019.
Japan then suited up for an exhibition series against the Netherlands in March ahead of the 2025 regular season, winning both games in dominant fashion, 5-0 and 9-0. Now, the Samurai turn their attention to a familiar foe, Korea, in a matchup that will preview their upcoming meeting in Pool C of the 2026 WBC. Japan’s other opponents in the pool are Australia, Chinese Taipei, and the Czech Republic. Should they are likely to meet either the Dominican Republic or Venezuela from Pool D in the quarterfinals.
While Japan’s eventual WBC roster will be loaded with stars from both MLB and NPB, this exhibition series promises a competitive rivalry series in the nation’s capital and serves as a crucial evaluation period for Ibata and his coaching staff.
Full Roster For 2025 RAXUS Samurai Japan Series
Right-Handed Pitchers (10)
Shoma Fujihira (Rakuten Eagles)
Hiromi Itoh (Nippon-Ham Fighters)
Koki Kitayama (Nippon-Ham Fighters)
Yuki Matsumoto (SoftBank Hawks)
Shinya Matsuyama (Chunichi Dragons)
Naoto Nishiguchi (Rakuten Eagles)
Kaima Taira (Seibu Lions)
Taisei (Yomiuri Giants)
Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons)
Atsuki Taneichi (Lotte Marines)
Left-Handed Pitchers (5)
Yumeto Kanemaru (Chunichi Dragons)
Daisuke Moriura (Hiroshima Carp)
Masaki Oyokawa (Hanshin Tigers)
Ryuhei Sotani (Orix Buffaloes)
Chihiro Sumida (Seibu Lions)
Catchers (4)
Yukinori Kishida (Yomiuri Giants)
Yuhei Nakamura (Yakult Swallows)
Seishiro Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers)
Kenya Wakatsuki (Orix Buffaloes)
Infielders (6)
Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Carp)
Shugo Maki (DeNA BayStars)
Taisei Makihara (SoftBank Hawks)
Itsuki Murabayashi (Rakuten Eagles)
Isami Nomura (SoftBank Hawks)
Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants)
Outfielders (3)
Ryota Isobata (Nippon-Ham Fighters)
Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers)
Yuki Okabayashi (Chunichi Dragons)
Photo: Yomiuri Giants pitcher Taisei Ota throws to the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning of an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
