Shohei Ohtani batting second? Japan's head coach Hirokazu Ibata reveals a blueprint for a "super aggressive" batting lineup

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to begin in March, with the defending champions Samurai Japan working hard to form their most powerful lineup in history. While the roster is not fully decided, head coach Hirokazu Ibata revealed in a New Year's exclusive with Sports Hochi a concept for creating an ultra-offensive batting order.

Japan's currently announced eight-player Classic roster includes MLB stars Shohei Ohtani, Yuki Matsui, and Yusei Kikuchi, along with NPB players Hiromi Ito, Taisei Ota, Atsuki Taneichi, Kaima Taira, and Daichi Ishii. Seven of these are dedicated pitchers, with Ohtani being the only two-way player who also bats. Even so, head coach Ibata has already outlined a vision for a "super aggressive" batting lineup in his mind.

Previously, Ibata expressed his desire to give Ohtani more plate appearances, considering placing him in the earlier spots in the batting order, meaning positions one through three are all possible. In this recent interview, he further proposed the idea and reasoning behind possibly having Ohtani bat second.

"The second spot is a very challenging position to hit in. But Ohtani can handle it whether or not there are runners on base. If there are runners when he comes up, and although it might sound odd, if the opposing pitcher becomes nervous and loses control, it could create a situation with no outs and runners on first and second," Ibata explained. He added that if Ohtani can then hit a long ball or even a home run, "it would make things much easier for us."

In fact, Ohtani has considerable experience batting second in MLB, having started 319 games in that position—more than he has as a leadoff hitter—and posted a slash line of .285/.388/.616 with 99 home runs. Therefore, Ibata believes Ohtani is fully capable of adapting to the second spot. To maximize Ohtani's power, the following protection hitters also need careful placement, with Kazuma Okamoto, who is currently negotiating an MLB contract, being one candidate. Ibata also revealed that the 30-player roster is expected to be finalized by mid-January, at which point more definitive plans will be made.