Yoshinobu Yamamoto expresses strong desire to compete again in the Classic: "If my condition is well managed, I can participate."

The 2026 Sixth World Baseball Classic (WBC) is set to begin in March. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a Japanese pitcher for the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, stands as a crucial player for the defending champion Samurai Japan squad. While his participation is not yet confirmed, he has frequently voiced his hope to compete again for Japan in the Classic and assist the team in achieving the "world’s top" status again.

At the “Japan Professional Sports Awards” ceremony at the end of 2025, Yamamoto openly expressed his eagerness for the Classic. He stated, "Participating in the last tournament brought me unparalleled joy. It would be wonderful to step onto that stage again."

During the 2025 postseason, he not only pitched two consecutive complete games but also secured three wins in the World Series, pitching in Game 7 on no rest and creating a legendary moment. He became the second Japanese player since 2009 to be named World Series MVP. Including the regular season, he pitched a total of 210 innings over 36 games last year, a huge workload. Therefore, the Dodgers originally hoped he would decline the Classic invitation to rest fully for the new season, but Yamamoto’s determination is firm: "As long as my physical condition is properly managed, I will be able to compete."

Yamamoto appeared twice in the last Classic: he started against Australia in the preliminaries, pitching 4 innings with 8 strikeouts and no runs allowed; in the semifinal versus Mexico, he relieved Roki Sasaki, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing 2 runs. Across 7.1 innings, he struck out 12 batters with a 2.45 ERA. Now, three years later, Yamamoto has matured into a world-class major league pitcher tested by countless critical matches. His teammate Shohei Ohtani praised him after the World Series: "I think everyone agrees he is the best pitcher in the world." This time, Yamamoto is expected to continue writing a new legend on the international stage.