Dave Roberts “Hoping” Shohei Ohtani Does Not Pitch For Team Japan in WBC 2026

Shohei Ohtani returned to his two-way status and resumed pitching in June after not taking the mound in the entirety of the 2024 season.

Dave Roberts “Hoping” Shohei Ohtani Does Not Pitch For Team Japan in WBC 2026

Dave Roberts and Shohei Ohtani (Image via Dodger Blue)

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Shohei Ohtani had another successful season in 2025 as he claimed a 4th MVP title and helped the Los Angeles Dodgers to back-to-back titles. As he now prepares to represent his country, his manager, Dave Roberts is hoping he takes it easy and does not pitch in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Two weeks ago, Ohtani announced his intention of playing for Team Japan once again. In 2023, he was the captain of his team and guided them to victory over Team USA in the final.

He batted with a .435 average with 1 home run and 8 RBIs in the 7 games. As a pitcher, he went 2-0 in 3 appearances, which included a relief appearance in the final against the USA. For the final out, Ohtani struck out his then-teammate Mike Trout and led Team Japan to a 3-2 victory. The two-way star was later named MVP of the tournament.

As Team Japan tries to defend their title in the next edition, they will be hoping for a similar performance from its captain. The Los Angeles Dodgers, however, are a bit concerned regarding Ohtani’s pitching.

After suffering an elbow injury in August 2023, Ohtani underwent surgery and did not pitch in his first season with the Dodgers in 2024. He returned to his two-way playing style in June.

In the 14 regular-season games, Ohtani went 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 47.0 innings. As the season progressed, he started pitching more. In the postseason, he went 2-1 in 4 starts with a 4.43 ERA and 28 strikeouts.

In the Winter Meetings on Monday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts claimed he is hoping Ohtani does not pitch in the WBC.

I’m hoping he doesn’t. But I don’t know. He’s very in tune with his body. But I would say probably the thought is he’s probably just going to hit.

Dave Roberts on Shohei Ohtani

A reason for this is due to the schedule of the WBC. The 2026 edition of this international tournament will kick off on March 5 and conclude on March 17. If Japan does reach the final, then Ohtani and his other Japanese Dodgers teammates will have less than 9 days to prepare for the season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Apart from Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are both expected to start games for Team Japan and pitch. So far, the Dodgers have not placed any official restrictions on them. However, the team is expected to have a discussion with them regarding this matter.

Atlanta Braves star names Shohei Ohtani as his favorite athlete

Ever since making his debut in the MLB, Shohei Ohtani has continued to impress the fans with his performances. His two-way status has even left some of his colleagues stunned. Recently, an Atlanta Braves star named the Japanese international as his favorite athlete.

Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani (Image via Imago)

In a video shared by MLB on X, Ronald Acuna Jr. was asked who his favorite athlete was at the moment. After the 2023 National League MVP was denied the chance to name himself, he would name Ohtani as his favorite.

It’s crazy, man. He can steal 60 bags (bases), hit 60 home runs, throw 10 strikeouts in one game. That’s crazy.

Ronald Acuna Jr. said regarding Shohei Ohtani

After finding the 50-50 club (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases) in the 2024 season, Ohtani continued to rake in the 2025 campaign. He finished the regular season with 55 home runs, 1 more than he managed in the previous season.

He thus became the first player after Alex Rodriguez in 2002 to have 2 successive seasons with 50 or more home runs. His strong regular-season performances saw him claim a 4th MVP title this year.

He and his teammates are now eyeing a historic three-peat in the 2026 season. Only 4 times in MLB history has a team won 3 or more successive World Series titles.

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