If the Japanese team wants Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, all they have to do is ask.
Ohtani said as much when asked about the World Baseball Classic on Monday. According to NHK World Japan, he said that he hopes to be part of the roster for next year’s tournament. It would be the first time he suited up as injuries had kept him from participating in the past.
Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani hopes to be part of World Baseball Classic
It would seem as though Ohtani’s participation would be a lock for the WBC. Team Japan would lock in one of the best hitters in the majors and an ace caliber pitcher all in one. The only possible question would be if he wanted to play on just one side of the ball during the tournament.
Now that he is finally healthy, major league fans are seeing the player he was in Japan for all those years. He has posted an impressive 149 OPS+ with 65 homers and 41 doubles in his 1021 plate appearances since the start of the 2021 season while stealing 36 bases. That performance alone would seemingly guarantee Ohtani a prominent spot on the Team Japan roster.
Then there is his pitching. He has posted a 2.86 ERA and a 1.049 WHiP in his 217.1 innings in that timeframe, striking out 279 batters with just 66 walks. He has proven that he can be an ace at the major league level as well, a player that has not been seen since the days of Martin Dihigo.
Chances are, Ohtani will add several more MVP awards to his trophy case before his career is over if he remains healthy. Should he play on both sides of the ball, and perform as one would expect during the WBC, he could add another award to his trophy case from there as well.
Shohei Ohtani wants to be a part of Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. It seems inevitable that the Los Angeles Angels star is included.