"Ohtani memorably led the Japanese baseball team to a gold medal in the 2023 WBC. He closed out the championship game by entering as a relief pitcher and ending the game by striking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout. Ohtani was named 2023 World Baseball Classic MVP after Team Japan completed a 3-2 win over the United States at loanDepot Park."
"As a hitter, Ohtani batted .435/.606/.739 with four doubles, one home run, eight RBI and 10 walks across 10 games. He yielded a 1.86 ERA in three games (two starts) as a pitcher for Team Japan in the WBC as well. Since that point, Ohtani has gone on to win three MVP Awards in a row, bringing his career total to four. Ohtani's made history along the way by winning each of his MVPs in unanimous fashion."
Shohei Ohtani announced he will play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, posting 'Happy to play and represent Japan again' in Japanese on Instagram. Ohtani led Japan to the 2023 WBC gold medal and closed the championship by entering as a relief pitcher and striking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout. Ohtani was named 2023 WBC MVP after Japan defeated the United States 3-2 at loanDepot Park. He excelled both as a hitter (.435/.606/.739 across 10 games) and as a pitcher (1.86 ERA in three appearances). The Dodgers' permission for him to pitch in 2026 remains unclear.
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