Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will start his 2026 season a little early, as he will play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan. Moreover, it will be the first season in which he can pitch to start the season since joining the Dodgers.
Nonetheless, the main goal in this early part of the 2026 season will be winning back-to-back WBCs for Team Japan. Ohtani helped Los Angeles win back-to-back World Series titles and now will look to do the same for his home country.
The question heading into the competition is whether Ohtani will be able to pitch for Japan. Ohtani finally returned to the pitching mound during the middle of last season with the Dodgers taking a cautious approach and then allowing him to go deep into a ballgame.
Ahead of the WBC, Ohtani spoke with reporters during Dodgersfest and shared the latest regarding whether he’ll be pitching for Team Japan.
“In terms of the World Baseball Classic, I just have to see how my body feels, feel the progression, and see what happens,” Ohtani said through his interpreter on Jan. 31 (h/t Dodgers Nation).
Upon his return to the mound, Ohanti was 1-1 with an ERA of 2.87 and 62 strikeouts in 14 appearances in 2025, per StatMuse. Meanwhile, in the postseason, the Dodgers star went 2-1 with an ERA of 4.43 and 28 strikeouts in four postseason appearances in 2025, per StatMuse.
In the NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, he struck out 10 over six scoreless innings and hit three home runs in the same game, highlighting his rare two-way talent.
Roki Sasaki Will Be a Starter for Los Angeles
As for the Dodgers’ other Japanese pitcher, Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles’ front office recently gave an update on his plan as spring training approaches. While Sasaki thrived out of the bullpen, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes noted that the Dodgers see the 24-year-old as a starting pitcher.
“Starter for sure,” Gomes told WEEI’s Rob Bradford in a Jan. 28 video. “He looks great. Velocity is really good in bullpens. He’s feeling awesome physically [and] continuing to work on the cutter and two‑seam. If he just went fastball‑split, and he could dominate. And as he rounds out the arsenal, it’s going to be really challenging for teams as he gets through the third time in the order.”
Dodgers’ GM Talks Roki Sasaki’s Struggles in 2025
Moreover, Gomes spotlighted what caused Sasaki to struggle out of the gate. The Dodgers general manager noted that people often forget the challenges that come with making the jump to the majors, the personal life that goes from Japan to the United States, and the culture shift he went through as a player in his early 20s.
“I think there’s an underappreciation of how hard it is to make the jump,” Gomes added. “Never mind baseball. Base aside, just life. There’s a lot that gets thrown at you as guys are moving over.
“We saw it with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the big difference from Year 1 to Year 2, just from a comfort level. And as accomplished of a pitcher as he possibly can be. So I think I have the same expectations for Roki Sasaki from Year 1 to Year 2, just be able to really just focus on baseball now.”
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Reveals Major WBC News for Team Japan