Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata announced 29 of the 30 players selected for the 2026 World Baseball Classic roster at a press conference on Monday, Jan. 26. The 30th player will be announced when the team is finalized on Feb. 6. “We’re only focused on winning,” he said.
Nineteen players had already been confirmed through earlier announcements, and Monday’s update confirmed 10 additional selections. The group includes several high-profile MLB stars, most notably 2025 National League MVP Shohei Ohtani, 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers) along with Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs) and recent signees Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays). Ohtani will take on a two-way role for Japan, and is expected to bat second in the Japanese lineup.
Shohei Ohtani to Bat Second for Japan at 2026 World Baseball Classic
The newly announced Nippon Professional Baseball additions include pitchers Koki Kitayama (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters), Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons), and Ryuhei Sotani (Orix Buffaloes), as well as catcher Yuhei Nakamura (Tokyo Yakult Swallows) and infielder Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Toyo Carp).
The final roster spot is expected to come down to Shota Imanaga (Chicago Cubs), Kodai Senga (New York Mets), or Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), with Yoshida viewed as the favorite pending MLB approval from the Boston Red Sox. If permission is not granted, Japan may instead opt for an NPB outfielder such as Yuki Okabayashi (Chunichi Dragons), Chusei Mannami (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters), or Yuki Yanagita (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks).
Notable omissions from the squad include young flamethrower Shunpeita Yamashita (Orix Buffaloes), closer Shinya Matsuyama (Chunichi Dragons), and rising shortstop Yuta Izuguchi (Yomiuri Giants). Pitchers Roki Sasaki (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Tatsuya Imai (Houston Astros) were previously ruled out in order for them to prioritize their respective teams and get ready for the MLB season.
The Samurai will play exhibition games against the reigning Japan Series champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Miyazaki on Feb. 21 and 23, followed by two games against the Chunichi Dragons at Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Feb. 27 and 28. The team will conclude its warm-ups at Kyocera Dome with two more exhibition games against the Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers on March 2 and 3.
Japan, the defending WBC champions and three-time overall winners, will play in Pool C at Tokyo Dome alongside Korea, Australia, Czechia, and Chinese Taipei from March 5-10. The top two teams from the group will advance to the quarterfinals in Miami, where they will face one of the top two finishers from Pool D, which includes the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
With the latest announcement, Samurai Japan’s confirmed roster is below.
TWP – Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
RHP – Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers)
RHP – Tomoyuki Sugano (Free Agent)
RHP – Hiromi Itoh (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters)
RHP – Koki Kitayama (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters)
RHP – Atsuki Taneichi (Chiba Lotte Marines)
RHP – Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons)
RHP – Kaima Taira (Saitama Seibu Lions)
RHP – Yuki Matsumoto (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
RHP – Daichi Ishii (Hanshin Tigers)
RHP – Taisei (Yomiuri Giants)
LHP – Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels)
LHP – Yuki Matsui (San Diego Padres)
LHP – Hiroya Miyagi (Orix Buffaloes)
LHP – Ryuhei Sotani (Orix Buffaloes)
C – Seishiro Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers)
C – Kenya Wakatsuki (Orix Buffaloes)
C – Yuhei Nakamura (Tokyo Yakult Swallows)
1B – Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox)
2B – Shugo Maki (Yokohama DeNA BayStars)
3B – Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays)
3B – Teruaki Sato (Hanshin Tigers)
SS – Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
SS – Sosuke Genda (Saitama Seibu Lions)
OF – Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs)
OF – Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers)
OF – Ukyo Shuto (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
OF – Kensuke Kondoh (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
UTL – Taisei Makihara (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
WBN WBC: https://worldbaseball.com/league/wbc/
Photo: Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama, left, and Lars Nootbaar of Japan, center, listen to the national anthem ahead of the first inning of the quarterfinal game between Italy and Japan at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Toru Hanai)
