SSODSTYLES

Japan wins WBC 2023, Shohei gets the save in the final game of WBC 2023

You could tell Shohei Ohtani was looking to seize his opportunity at the 2023 World Baseball Classic , he didn’t hit any towering home runs to win a game or get the win in the championship game, but he did show what a better leader he is becoming when he came out the bullpen to get the save for his team, plus he added four hits and two runs combined in the final two games. Japan won the 2023 baseball classic at LoanDepot Park and gave diverse fans a moment of history. I bring this up because the 2025 season will begin in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, with the Dodgers and Cubs squaring off in the Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim. For the sixth time in MLB history a season opener will take place in Tokyo.

When asked by Alex Rodriguez, analyst for ESPN, about his approach on how he revere’s Major League Baseball players. Ohtani said, “I didn’t want my teammates to be passive, show respect, but at the same time stay confident.”

In October, Shohei agreed to a $30 million deal with the Angels, the 2023 season will be the  WBC MVP’s final year of arbitration eligibility.

Two other players on the Japan team also play in the Major Leagues —  Yu Darvish and Munetaka Murakami —— both Darvish and Ohtani have been considered to be the best pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball prior to their arrival in Major League Baseball.

The Japan team didn’t fly to Miami for clear blue skies at the beach or late night parties like other teams that had participated in the WBC 2023. Since they would only be in Miami for the semi-final and championship games after advancing from the divisional round at the Tokyo Dome, Japan had a different approach: arrive early for pre game workout, run drills on the field as a cohesive team, and play the game the way they had been taught. This approach to baseball is very important in Japanese culture as in my Hispanic culture in Cuba. 

In a post championship interview Ohtani also said, “ Japanese baseball has always looked up to USA baseball, and that they were just the better team.”

Because of this passion, both countries have for baseball, the WBC 2023 was filled with late inning hits and fierce divisional rivals. So on to Tokyo where plenty of diverse magic is sure to appear.