If the players already confirmed for the 2026 World Baseball Classic are any indication, Samurai Japan will have its hands full when it tries to defend the title in March.
?Japan won the 2023 WBC with a storybook finish that saw two-way star Shohei Ohtani strike out U.S. captain Mike Trout ¡ª his teammate with the Los Angeles Angels at the time ¡ª to give the Japanese team a 3-2 win in a thrilling final.
?Ohtani, who last season won his third straight MVP award in MLB and helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a second straight World Series title, has already committed to playing again in 2026.
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