The 2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC is seeing heated battles every day. The one-off tournament finally begins on the 14th (Japan time). This time, we'll be looking at players to watch out for from the four major teams that could face Samurai Japan in the quarterfinals and finals - Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States. We'll also be introducing players from Pacific League who have similar styles, so we hope you'll find this information useful as you watch the game. All data is sourced from Baseball Savant, the official major league data site.
Venezuela's hit machine can hit any ball
To give an example from Pacific League... Ryoma Nishikawa (Orix Buffaloes)
First, let's focus on Venezuela's Luis Arraez. He has a track record of winning the batting hitter for three consecutive years from 2022, and his contact rate (the percentage of times he swung and made contact with the ball) last season was 94.7%, demonstrating his exceptional bat control. While the average batting average in the majors for balls outside the strike zone is around .150, Arraez has posted an astonishing batting average of .307 over the three years since 2023. With a batting style that allows him to hit back any ball without swinging and missing, he is likely to give the Samurai Japan pitcher a hard time.
In addition, pitcher Andres Machado (Orix Buffaloes) has also been selected for the Venezuelan national team. Having recorded a total of 51 saves in his two seasons in Japan, the closer who enjoys the complete trust of The Buffaloes fans may prove to be a formidable opponent for the Samurai Japan lineup this time around.
The perfect slugger from the Dominican Republic
To give an example from Pacific League... Kensuke Kondo (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks), who can also stolen base.
Leading the Dominican Republic's powerful offense is Juan Soto. He possesses the power to hit 40 Home Run for two consecutive years, and also has a good eye for pitches, not swinging at balls outside the strike zone. In recent years, he has been considered one of the best players in both power hitting and on-base ability. Although he is not particularly fast, he honed base running skills and recorded 38 stolen base last season, making it difficult for opposing pitchers and catchers to choose to avoid pitching to him.
The key to countering this will be effectively utilizing pitches at different heights. Data from the last three seasons shows that batters struggle against low pitch, with a batting average of .203 and a slugging percentage of .346. Since many of the Samurai Japan pitcher use off-speed pitches like fork, it will be important to carefully attack the lower part of the strike zone.
Mexico's proud right-handed pitcher killer
To give an example from Pacific League... Tyler Nevin (Saitama Seibu Lions) as left-handed hitter.
Mexico, who had a fierce battle with Samurai Japan in the semi-finals of the previous tournament, should keep an eye on Jonathan Aranda. His .329 batting average against right-handed pitcher last season is on par with top hitter like Aaron Judge and last season's American League Rookie of the Year, Karl Kurtz. In a match against Samurai Japan, which has many strong right-handed pitchers, there is a very high probability that Aranda will be in starting line-up. On the other hand, his batting average against left-handed pitcher is only .274 and his slugging percentage is .345, so they will want closer by using left-handed pitcher such as Hiroya Miyagi and Yusei pitcher.
In addition, Alexander Armenta, a left-handed pitcher from Fukuoka Softbank' development program, has been selected for the Mexican national team. In a practice game against Samurai Japan on February 23rd, he pitched well, throwing two runs innings and reaching a top speed of 155 km/h. Can he make his presence felt on the big stage, representing his country?
The fastest right-handed relief pitcher in the majors leads the US to win
Pacific League to ... Tatsuya Imai pitcher became a relief (Saitama Seibu Lions → Astros)
Finally, the U.S. national team will introduce Mason Miller pitcher. He is a strong-armed reliever who overwhelms hitter with almost two pitches: four seam fastball (fastball), which boasts an average ball speed of 162.9 km/h and sharply changing slider. Last season, he hit 104 strike out in 61 2/3 innings, and in September, he achieved an "immaculate inning" of 3 consecutive 3 pitches struck out in slider worldwide. If the U.S. enters the final game with the lead, they will definitely rise to mound as a closer. One of the few weaknesses of such mirror pitcher is that there are relatively many BB. I want to identify the ball without rushing and make a breakthrough to comeback.
At the time of writing, the team that Samurai Japan will play against has not been confirmed. There are still many talented teams that could not be introduced this time, such as Aaron Nola pitcher of Italy, who boasts a total of 109 major wins, and Nolan Arenado of Puerto Rico, who won the Gold Glove Award for 10 consecutive years since 2013. We hope you will witness the numbing serious battle between the stars, and the moment when the samurai create a circle of joy on March 18th.
*All numbers in the text and table are as of the end of the 2025 season.
Moon/Data Stadium
