Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata spoke to Japanese media on New Year’s Day as his vision for the World Baseball Classic continues to take shape.
Ibata has already unveiled the first eight players confirmed for the 2026 tournament — Shohei Ohtani, Hiromi Itoh, Atsuki Taneichi, Kaima Taira, Daichi Ishii, Taisei Ota, Yusei Kikuchi, and Yuki Matsui — with the remainder of the team expected to be announced in mid-January. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tomoyuki Sugano are believed to be among those on the full roster.
Ibata has since begun outlining more specific plans, revealing that he intends to bat Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani second in the lineup. “I want him near the top of the order so he can get more at-bats,” Ibata stated. He added that he also weighed the option of using Ohtani as a leadoff hitter — the role he occupies with the Dodgers — or in the three-hole, where he hit during the 2023 WBC.
As for the corner infield spots, Ibata said he is hoping to have Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami, both of whom are set to make their Major League Baseball debuts in 2026. Unlike in 2023, however, Ibata envisions Okamoto manning third base and Murakami shifting to first, with Okamoto also under consideration to bat cleanup. Murakami opened the 2023 tournament as the cleanup man before Masataka Yoshida took his place in the order during the knockout stage.
At the bottom of the order, Ibata is considering Yokohama DeNA BayStars second baseman Shugo Maki in the seven- or eight-hole, with a lighter hitter in front of him who can bunt and reliably move runners. Ibata faced online criticism during the 2024 Premier12 for batting Maki sixth despite him being the team’s best hitter on paper, arguing at the time that the spot maximized RBI opportunities.
But Ibata now views the six-hole as a setup position, explaining that a “Kaito Kozono or Sosuke Genda–type player” can create a cushion before Maki comes up with runners in scoring position.
Ibata also acknowledged that adapting to the pitch clock and PitchCom could be a challenge for pitchers coming from Nippon Professional Baseball, emphasizing the importance of the pre-WBC spring camp and exhibition games in helping arms make the adjustment smoothly.
Photo: Shohei Ohtani of Japan is seen prior to the World Baseball Classic Pool B game between China and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 9, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
