Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata (50) held a press conference in Tokyo on the 26th and announced additional members of the Japanese national team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March. Ten new members have been added, including Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (31), Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto (29), who will be competing in the US this season, and White Sox infielder (25), bringing the total number of players to 29 out of 30. From the NPB, Nippon-Ham-Koki Kitayama pitcher Noriyuki Kitayama (26) and Orix Buffaloes Ryuhei Sotani pitcher Ryuhei Soya (25) have been confirmed for their first appearance. Samurai Japan reporter Tsuyoshi Nagai analyzed the reasons behind Manager Ibata's selection of Kitayama and Soya, who is known for his exceptional baseball perspective.
Kitayama has appeared in four games in the 2024 Premier12 as a reliever. ERA was 3.86, but he threw seven innings and took 10 struck out, more than inning. The style of throwing one after another at a small tempo even in tough situations was evaluated by the leaders as "adaptable" to the rules of this tournament, such as time clocks and pitchcoms. "You can get strike in any pitch," said Coach Ibata. His strength in both starting and relieving was also evaluated.
Meanwhile, Soya's reputation skyrocketed during a warm-up match against South Korea in November (Tokyo Dome). He started in Game 1 and closer a perfect three innings. After the game, he received praise from the management, including manager Ibata. On that day, the manager explained, "He was the best at adapting to the WBC ball (among the players we called up in the fall)." In addition, with a pitching form that makes it difficult to see where the ball is coming from, his signature slider looked like it would be difficult to hit on first sight.
There is only one player left. The fact that Mets' Senga and Cubs' Imanaga have not been called up at this time is likely a factor in the two players being called up. In the actual game, they are likely to play an important role as second starters and help turn the tide.
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・ Eight players from major league teams have been confirmed for the WBC, the most in WBC history: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kazuma Okamoto, Munetaka Murakami, and Seiya Suzuki. 29 of the 30 players from the national team have been confirmed. [List of Team Members]
