Japan infielder Kazuma Okamoto participates in batting practice on March 11, 2026, in Miami. Japan's World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against Venezuela is on March 14. (©KYODO)
After Samurai Japan went 4-0 in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, manager Hirokazu Ibata outlined the team's strategy for the rest of the tournament.
At a jam-packed press conference at Tokyo Dome, Ibata said there's a winning formula for the final three rounds of the WBC.
"All the pitchers, all the hitters, we go for it as one team and we go all out," Ibata told reporters on Tuesday night, March 10.
Reigning WBC champion Japan departed on a flight to Miami later that night. The tournament's quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be held at loanDepot Park. It's the same ballpark where Shohei Ohtani struck out his then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The team arrived in Miami at around 3 AM local time on Wednesday. At around 2 PM, Ohtani and some of his Samurai Japan teammates attended a voluntary practice session in the Florida city, according to published reports.
Ibata gave his assessment of what he saw from MLB newcomers Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami while they exhibited their vigorous batting form at practice.
"Both Okamoto and Murakami looked very good," Ibata was quoted as saying by Nikkan Sports. "I'm looking forward to seeing them tomorrow and the day after during the full team practice."
Upcoming Games in Miami
Pool C winner Japan faces Venezuela (3-1), the Pool D runner-up, in a quarterfinal showdown on Saturday (10 AM JST on Sunday).
The winner of that game will face the winner of the Puerto Rico-Italy quarterfinal matchup in the semifinals on Monday night, March 16 (9 AM JST the following day).
Japan enters the win-or-go-home portion of the tournament following victories over Taiwan (13-0 on March 6), South Korea (8-6 on March 7), Australia (4-3 on March 8) and the Czech Republic (9-0 on March 10).
Also, in the quarterfinals, it's South Korea vs the Dominican Republic, and the United States vs Canada on the other side of the tournament bracket.
Leading the Way for Samurai Japan
Veteran outfielder Masataka Yoshida is tied for the second-best batting average (.500, 6-for-12) among players with 10 or more at-bats at the WBC. Yoshida has two home runs and six RBIs.
Baseball commentator Michihiro Ogasawara shared his perspective on Yoshida's stellar overall performance during Nippon Broadcasting System's radio broadcast of the Japan-Czech Republic game.
"Rather than being in peak form, this is probably just his natural ability," Ogasawara said of Yoshida. "So, while he might have his ups and downs, when he focuses on solid hitting, these are the kind of results he produces."
The proof is in the numbers. At the 2023 WBC, Yoshida was one of the offensive catalysts for Samurai Japan. He led all players with a tournament-record 13 RBIs.
Leadoff hitter Ohtani, who was given the day off against the Czechs, has also provided a big spark at the top of the lineup. He belted a pair of homers in pool play and drove in six runs in the first three games.
Ohtani, who has walked four times, has scored four runs. He's 5-for-9 (.556) when pitchers don't walk him.
Sosuke Genda gave the offense a spark at Tokyo Dome, hitting .571 (4-for-7) with four RBIs.
Teammates Ukyo Shuto and Murakami blasted a pair of homers in the nine-run eighth inning against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Effective Pitching in the 1st Round
In the four Pool C games, Japan held the opposition to 20 hits in 34 innings. Ibata's pitching staff compiled a 2.12 ERA in the first round, walked eight batters and struck out 49.
The Samurai Japan manager took full advantage of the team's pitching depth at Tokyo Dome, using all 14 pitchers on the roster in games.
In the first round, relievers Koki Kitayama, Taisei Ota, Atsuki Taneichi and Hiroya Miyagi appeared in two games apiece.
Another reliever, Chihiro Sumida, had a team-best seven strikeouts, which he recorded during his three-inning appearance against Australia.
Not to be overlooked, teammate Hiromi Itoh fanned six in a three-inning relief stint versus South Korea.
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, MVP of the 2025 World Series, had a solid 2⅔-inning mound outing in Japan's WBC opener, allowing no hits and striking out a pair of Taiwan batters.
Yusei Kikuchi of the Los Angeles Angels followed Yamamoto as Japan's next starting pitcher. He departed the contest against South Korea with a pitching line that included three innings, six hits and three runs.
Facing Australia, veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano made a positive impression in his WBC start, scattering four hits in four scoreless innings.
Similarly, Hiroto Takahashi, an up-and-coming player with the Chunichi Dragons, had a stellar start, holding the Czechs to a pair of hits and zero runs in 4⅔ innings. He also had five strikeouts.
The Pitching Challenge for the Knockout Rounds
Looking ahead, Ibata stressed the importance of dominant pitching in the World Baseball Classic, especially against the teams that reached the tournament's knockout stage. Specifically, he told reporters at Tokyo Dome that he's concerned with the opponent having runners on base. He noted that extra-base hits can have a greater impact in these situations.
With that in mind, he wants his pitchers to be aggressive.
His specific instructions to his pitchers: "Don't be afraid and attack the strike zone," he told the news conference.
"And as a result, he added, "if we walk them, that's fine. But don't be afraid to attack."
Yamamoto, who is 7-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 10 MLB career postseason appearances for the Dodgers, will be the starting pitcher against Venezuela. He returns to the spotlight in a must-win game.
Near the outset of the team's press conference on Tuesday, Ibata insisted his team's WBC plan is a day-by-day approach.
"Heading into the quarterfinal, we don't go for the semifinal and the final," the manager stated. "We only focus on the quarterfinal right now."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
