"Well, he's not gonna pitch in the WBC, but he will be ramping up his arm to get ready for this season and I think [the thing] for me is, I don't know how many innings he threw last year, but obviously with the full offseason going north of what he did last year."
"I wasn't surprised, so I can't even say I was relieved. I think that he wants to, understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then, how best to prepare himself for '26 to do both, it just seemed like the right decision, so I wasn't surprised and feel really good about it."
"Ohtani was one of the best hitters in baseball last season, recording a career-high 55 homers and driving in 102 runs. He had an OPS north of 1.000 for the third consecutive season, and has won three consecutive MVP awards unanimously."
Shohei Ohtani left the Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training camp to join Team Japan in preparation for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He will compete exclusively as a hitter in the tournament while simultaneously ramping up his pitching workload to prepare for the MLB regular season. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed this decision aligns with Ohtani's preparation strategy following his exceptional 2024 season. Ohtani recorded 55 home runs and 102 RBIs last season while maintaining an OPS above 1.000 for the third consecutive year and winning his third consecutive unanimous MVP award. Team Japan features a star-studded roster including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Munetaka Murakami, and Seiya Suzuki, positioning them among the tournament favorites.
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