Shohei Ohtani set to play for champion Japan again in WBC

Shohei Ohtani, a two-time World Series champion, will attempt to add a second World Baseball Classic title to his haul when he competes for the defending champion Japanese team again next year.

The 31-year-old two-way superstar made the announcement Monday on social media that he would again participate in the international tournament.

Ohtani is fresh off another spectacular season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the unanimous selection as the National League's Most Valuable Player after going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 pitching starts while leading the league at the plate with a .622 slugging percentage, a 1.014 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and a career-high 146 runs scored.

In 158 regular-season games this year, Ohtani batted .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs en route to his fourth career MVP honor.

Then Ohtani helped the Dodgers complete a run to their second straight World Series championship. He hit .265 with eight homers and 14 RBIs in 17 playoff games while going 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four starts on the mound.

It is unclear if Ohtani will both hit and pitch for the Japanese team, as he only returned to the mound in June after recovering from elbow surgery.

The most recent edition of the WBC was held in 2023, and Ohtani got the save in the championship game against the United States. He struck out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to end Japan's 3-2 win. Ohtani was honored as the event's MVP after hitting .435/.606/.739 with one homer and eight RBIs in seven games. He compiled a 2-0 pitching record with one save and a 1.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.

Japan will be attempting to improve on its record total of three WBC titles in five editions of the tournament. Competing in Pool C with Australia, South Korea, Czechia and Taiwan, Japan opens group play on March 6 in Tokyo.

The quarterfinals will be played in Houston and Miami, and the semifinals and final are slated for Miami. The title game is scheduled for March 17.

--Field Level Media