There are just three days until the start of the 2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC™. Japan's official roster includes 15 players who were part of the team's previous world championship. We'll look back at the performances of six Pacific League players from the previous tournament and their results in the 2025 season.

Hiroya Miyagi and Hiromi Ito responded brilliantly to their relief roles in the last tournament.

Shohei Ohtani, who pitched in three games in the previous tournament, with a record of 2 wins, 0 losses, 1 ERA of 1.86, has decided to focus on hitter in this tournament, leaving the following five pitcher to participate in the second consecutive tournament.

Hiroya Miyagi pitcher took the mound in the last tournament against the Czech Republic in the first round. In the top of the 5th inning with a score of 7-1, he went up to mound as the 3rd runner, and lost 1 run between 1 out, 2nd, and 3rd base in the 2nd hit, but from the 6th inning he did not allow a single runner. From the 8th to the 9th inning, the game ended with 5 consecutive struck out and a spectacular pitch.

Last season, Miyagi pitcher served as the opening pitcher for the second year in a row, and got off to a good start with 2 hit 1 runs in 8 innings. He continued to pitch steadily after the summer and finished the season with four consecutive wins. Although Shirahoshi was sluggish with 7 wins and 3 losses, he threw a career-high 150.1 innings in 23 appearances, recording 165 strike out, more than inning. strike out His rate was 9.88, which was the highest number in the league. In this tournament as well, I want to take struck out in these situations.

Hiromi Ito pitcher pitched in relief in three games last time: the first round against China, the quarterfinals against Italy, and the final against the United States. In the quarterfinals, in the top of the 5th inning with a 2-run lead, when he was entrusted with the role of Ohtani in a situation where the pinch continued with 2 outs, 1st and 3rd base, he calmly hit the follow-up and broke the bad flow. And in the final, he closer the top of the 6th inning with a 3-1 score to retire with 3 out of 3.

Last season, when he won the Eiji Sawamura Award for the first time, he showed his toughness by throwing 6 complete game and 196.2 inning, the most in the league, in addition to the double crown of the most wins and the most strike out in the league. In addition, each indicator such as strike out rate, BB rate, and WHIP also updated career highs. He is sure to lead the pitcher with a higher level than three years ago.

From last season's Japan champion team, the leading hitter is one of the best hitter in NPB, and he's also the stolen base leader for three consecutive years.

Among fielder, a reliable lineup has reunited, led by Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami, who both hit Home Run in the previous final and are in their first year in the MLB, and Masataka Yoshida, who set a tournament record with 13 RBI, including a game-tying three-run home run in the semi-final.

Taisei Makihara was called up to replace Seiya Suzuki, who withdrew due to a left flank injury, and appeared in six games as a pinch defense and outfield. Last season, he won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award and Best Nine as second baseman, but also played in defense outfield in 29 games, demonstrating his versatility. In his 15th year as a pro, he reached the required number of at-bats for the first time, batting .304 and becoming the first hitter from the development team to lead the batting league, so we're looking forward to seeing him show off his batting skills.

Sosuke Genda starting line-up as short stop in five games. Despite breaking his right pinky finger while returning to base in the first round against South Korea, he returned in the quarterfinals and played the full game in the semifinals and finals. His solid defense didn't even hint at the injury, and he also recorded an RBI in his return game. In the semifinal against Mexico, he also nailed sacrifice bunt bunt that led to an additional run. Last year, he struggled due to an injury he sustained in April, playing in just 104 games and batting .209, but he will contribute to the team with his experience and play.

Last time, Kensuke Kondo starting line-up in all seven games as the second hitter batting before Ohtani. In the first round, hit four consecutive games, including multiple hit in three of them, demonstrating his true potential. In the semi-finals, with the team trailing by three runs, he hit a single with two outs and no runner hit in the bottom of the seventh inning, leading to Yoshida's three-run home run that tied the game. He ended up with a high batting average of .346 (9 At Bat 26 hit), 5 RBI, and an on-base percentage of .500.

Although he was forced to take a long break last season due to surgery for a herniated disc, he returned in May and showed consistent batting performance. In 75 games, he had a batting average of .301, Home Run, and an on-base percentage of .410, which is impressive. He also contributed to his team's Japan Series victory in the SMBC Japan Series 2025 against Hanshin Tigers, with 4 At Bat 11 at-hit 3 RBI, including a timely hit. It will be interesting to see if he can become part of the powerful top batting lineup in this tournament.

And Ukyo Shuto player played as a substitute runner in a total of 5 games and defense solidified. In particular, in the bottom of the ninth inning in the semifinals, he played as a substitute runner for first base runner Yoshida with no outs on first and second base, and the scene where he stepped on the walk-off 's home with Murakami's timely doble is fresh in my memory. 2nd base runner ・Wei Daten, who showed a fierce run that almost overtook Ohtani, won the stolen base championship for the fourth time in three consecutive years with 35 stolen base last year.

In addition, he got off to a good start with a hit in the opening 19 consecutive games, which is tied with the club record, and has a batting average of .286 in 96 games. Defensively, it boasted a wide defense range, and was the top vote in the outfielder category and won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award for the second time in two consecutive years.

The defending champions, aiming for their fourth championship, will face a number of strong teams, including the "strongest team in history," the United States, led by Aaron Judge. After overcoming a deficit and experiencing great joy, can the Samurai once again show their tenacity? The much-anticipated tournament kicks off on March 5th.