The "Raxus Asia Professional Baseball Championship 2026" will open at Tokyo Dome on November 12th. The young Japan national team, led by manager Tadahito Iguchi, aims for their third consecutive tournament victory.

Eligibility for this Asia Championship is limited to players aged 24 or younger, or those within their first three years of joining a team. With up to three overage players aged 29 or younger allowed, the roster is composed of fresh members who will lead the next generation of professional baseball.

Therefore, let's take another look back at the winning members of the previous tournament held three years ago in 2023. Players who are now central figures in the Pacific League contributed to the team's second consecutive victory in that tournament.

Two players from the Pacific League were selected for the Best Nine of the previous tournament.

At the time, 23-year-old Chusei Mannami (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham) played starting line-up in all four games, batting .352 (17 At Bat 6 hit), with 1 Home Run and 3 RBI. In the close game against South Korea, he hit a valuable solo home run, and in the final, he recorded 3 hit including two doble home runs, earning a spot on the tournament's Best Nine.

Also selected for the Best Nine was 24-year-old Chihiro Sumida pitcher (Saitama Seibu Lions). He closer the South Korean team with 3 hit scattered pitches, pitching 7 innings with 7 strike out and runs win pitcher.

​Rikuto Yokoyama pitcher (Chiba Lotte Marines), who led the season with Pacific League saves, also participated in this tournament. At the time, the 22-year-old right-hander pitched as the second pitcher against South Korea. Despite carrying runner, he pitched 2 strike out runs.

At the time, 25 years old and in his third year as a pro, Takahisa Hayakawa pitcher (Tohoku Rakuten Eagles) started against Australia. He threw five hitless innings, pitched seven strike out including four consecutive batters, and threw a runs with a stunning pitch. Also, the starting line-up batter and left-hander in this game was 23-year-old Kyota Fujiwara (Chiba Lotte Marines). He contributed to a 10-0 mercy win by hitting a two-run single in the 7th inning and recording 4-At Bat, 3 hit, and 2 RBI.

Aiming for a third consecutive win, this tournament features Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher and Misho Nishikawa, who have won the Pacific League Rookie of the Year; Shinya Hasegawa, who won this season's interleague MVP; and Gota Suzuki pitcher and Ryu Kutani Pacific League pitcher, who secured the first team in their first pro year in reliever. They will also show their true abilities in international matches and mark Manager Iguchi's debut appearance.