The 2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC™ will be held in March 2026. Thirty players who play both domestically and internationally have been selected to represent Japan, aiming to win back-to-back championships. This time, we will introduce 16 fielder.

☆ pitcher edition is here
☆For managers and coaches, click here

catcher

Kenya Wakatsuki Players (Orix Buffaloes and The Buffaloes)
number 4
Major international tournament appearances: first appearance in the WBC

Orix Buffaloes Positive catcher of . Last season was the first time in six years since 2019 that he played over 100 games, and his 31 RBI were the most in his professional career. He also contributed to the team's win success in terms of hitting, hitting three walk-off times in the early part of the season, including the season opener. Orix Buffaloes Will we see the famous team teamwork again in this WBC with Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitcher, who was the driving force behind the three consecutive championships since 2021?

Seishiro Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers)
number 12: 12
Major international tournament appearances: First appearance in the WBC

Hanshin Tigers Positive catcher. Last season, when the team won the championship, he played in more than 100 games for the first time in his 10-year professional career and won the Best Nine Award for the first time. He also won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award for the second time. He is also impressive for his lead in turning the tables on opponents hitter by forcing them to throw slow balls in unexpected places.

Yuhei Nakamura (Tokyo Yakult Swallows)
number He is a member of the National Team of the Japan Professional Athletic Association.
Major international tournament appearances: 2023 WBC, 2015 Premier 12

The 35-year-old catcher is the oldest fielder player in Tokyo Yakult. Last season he played in 74 fewer games and batted .230. In the final game, he starting line-up wore a mask and hugged Shohei Ohtani at the end to "toroage catcher". He will use his wealth of experience to lead the pitcher team in this year's tournament.

infielder

Shugo Maki (Yokohama DeNA BayStars)
number：2
Major international tournaments: 2024 Premier12, 2023 WBC

Yokohama DeNA's signature player. He batted .314 in his rookie year in 2021 and 29 Home Run and 103 RBI in 2023, but last season he only played 93 games, the fewest in the professional ranks, due to a ligament injury. second baseman is a fixed position, but he has also experienced first baseman in the 2021 season when he was a rookie and the Premier12 held in 2024.

Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
number：3
Major international appearances: First appearance in the WBC, Premier12 in 2024

Batting is infielder selling. Last season, he led the league for the first time with a batting average of .309 hitter and the highest on-base percentage with a .365 on-base percentage, and also recorded a .161 hit, second in the league. position does second baseman, short stop, and third. In the 2024 Premier12, he went 2 Home Run 7 RBI against the United States and was named the tournament's best nine. I expect him to play energizing both offense and defense in the WBC.

Taisei Makihara Player (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks)
number：5
Major international tournaments: 2023 WBC

Fukuoka Softbank hitter the Pacific League leader in 2025 who contributed to Japan's best . His 125 appearances last season, 127 hit and 49 RBI, both career highs. He is a utility player who plays outfield of the game, and last year he won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award and Best Nine for the first time at second baseman. Following the previous tournament where he participated as a substitute for Seiya Suzuki, he will participate in two consecutive tournaments.

Sosuke Genda Player (Saitama Seibu Lions)
number：6
Major international tournaments: 2024 Premier12, 2023 WBC, 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2019 Premier12

With the experience of winning the Mitsui Golden Glove Award for seven consecutive years, short stop represents Pacific League. Last season, due to injury, the number of games was reduced to 104, and his batting performance was also sluggish. Still, the fact that he has a lot of experience in the WBC, Premier12, Olympics, and international competitions is a great strength. In the last tournament, he continued to participate with a fracture and contributed to the world's best.

Teruaki Sato (Hanshin Tigers)
number：7
Major international tournaments: First appearance in the WBC

Hanshin Tigers sits at number 4 in the Central League MVP of 2025 and contributed greatly to the league championship. He won two batting titles in 40 Home Run &102 RBI, won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award as a third baseman, and was also selected as the best nine. position is mainly a third, but last year he also took the defense of outfield for the first time in three years. Let's expect batting and exciting arches that will make the most of chances in the WBC, which will be his first appearance.

Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays)
number：25
Major international tournaments: 2024 Premier12, 2023 WBC

Since 2018, he has hit more than 30 Home Run for six consecutive years, winning the most Home Run titles in 2020, 2021, and 2023 during that time. In 2023, when he contributed to Japan's recapture of the world championship, he recorded a career-high 41 Home Run. After the end of the 2025 season, he used the posting system and transferred to the Blue Jays. I want to be active in this tournament and gain momentum for my first season in MLB.

Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox)
number：55
Major international tournaments: WBC 2023, Tokyo Olympics 2021

Like Okamoto, he is a long-range gun in his first year in MLB. In 2022, he became the youngest player in history to win the Triple Crown with 56 Home Run, 134 RBI, and a batting average of .318, and from the following year he marked 30 Home Run or more for the second year in a row. Last year, he only played 56 games due to injury, but he has hit 22 Home Run, which is third in the Central League.

outfielder

Kensuke Kondo Player (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks)
number: 8
Major international tournament appearances: 2023 WBC, 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2019 Premier 12

One of the NPB's best hitter, he won two batting titles in 2024, the top hitter and highest on-base percentage, and the Pacific League MVP. Last season, he underwent back surgery in April and played only 75 games, but batted .301 and hit double figures Home Run for the third straight year. In the last tournament, Kondo and Ohtani were the top hitting threat, and it will be interesting to see which batting order manager Ibata will use Kondo this time around.

Ukyo Shuto Players (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks)
number 20
Major international tournament appearances: 2023 WBC, 2019 Premier 12

The NPB's most gifted and agile player, who won the Pacific League stolen base King three years in a row. Although he played less than 100 games last year due to injury, he contributed to the team's victory in Japan with a .286 batting average (384 At Bat 110 hit) and 36 RBI runs, the most in his professional career. In the last tournament against Mexico, he surprised baseball fans when he came on as a substitute runner and ran across the diamond at a speed that overtook Otani. His legs should be a big weapon again this year.

Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers)
number He is a 23 year old player.
Major international tournament appearances: First appearance in WBC, Premier 12 in 2024

Hanshin Tigers A strong hitter player who plays the No. 3 spot on the batting lineup. Last season, he played in all 143 games for the first time in his professional career, and his performances in 151 hit, 23 Home Run, and 89 RBI were all career highs, contributing to the league championship. In the 2024 Premier 12, he scored the most runs and won the best nine in the tournament.

Masanao Yoshida, Boston Red Sox.
number 34 years old.
Major international tournament appearances: 2023 WBC, 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2019 Premier 12

A key player in Japan's last attempt to regain world No. 1 after setting a new tournament record of 13 RBI in all seven games, Yoshida underwent right shoulder surgery in the off-season of 2024 and returned to action last July. He improved toward the end of the season and made his presence felt in his first postseason appearance with 7 At Bat 4 hit 2 RBI. He is expected to show his batting ability in this year's tournament as well.

Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs)
number Career record: 51 games played: 20
Major international tournament appearances: 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2019 Premier 12, 2017 WBC

Last year, his fourth year in MLB, he became the first Japanese right-handed hitter ever to reach 30 Home Run in a season, tied for fourth in the National League with 103 RBI, a career-high season, and also showed his competitive spirit in his first postseason with 3 Home Run 5 RBI in eight total games. He was selected for the national team for the last tournament but regretfully had to withdraw due to an injury to his left side, and will lead the batting lineup as a center fielder in his first appearance in two tournaments.

DH

Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
number：16
Major international tournaments: 2023 WBC, 2017 WBC, 2015 Premier12

The MVP of the previous tournament will carry the Japanese flag on his back this year as well. Last year, when he made a comeback to dual-wielding, he threw a ERA of 2.87 in 14 games, 62 struck out, which is much higher than the number of pitch (47), and hit a new personal record of 55 Home Run, and reached the milestone of 250 Home Run MLB career for the first Japanese player. The number one player in the baseball world who won the MVP for the fourth time in three consecutive years. Will he play a leading role in this tournament where he will focus on hitter?