A mere 15 minutes into the game
Disaster struck.
It was clear for all to see.
Hang in there!
Okay, get ready.
-Was that out? Out?
-Out.
Where does it hurt?
It was a twist in the knee.
They were samurai,
carrying the rising sun into battle,
and this is the other side
of their singular pursuit of victory.
The untold story behind it all.
BEYOND THE GAME:
SAMURAI 2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
FEBRUARY 2025
MLB CAMP VISITS
A year before the battle began,
the commander of Samurai Japan
was in America.
He visited the warriors
in their foreign battlefields
to see how they were faring.
NARRATOR: KAZUNARI NINOMIYA
Hello, Darvish.
Hello. Hey there.
It's good to see you.
MANAGER
HIROKAZU IBATA
SAN DIEGO PADRES
YU DARVISH
-What now?
-What now?
Hello.
Hello, sir.
To another great year working together.
It's been too long.
CHICAGO CUBS
SEIYA SUZUKI
How are you?
CHICAGO CUBS
SHOTA IMANAGA
-How's it going?
-I'm doing well, thankfully.
BOSTON RED SOX
MASATAKA YOSHIDA
Good morning.
It's been too long.
-In good form?
-There or thereabouts.
Any lingering pain?
No pain. But there is some stiffness.
I needed five suture anchors, after all.
So, yeah.
I need to get rid of the stiffness
and add more range.
I'm having no problem batting,
so that's good.
-Thank you.
-Your team owner's so passionate.
Was he?
He really was.
He said he wanted the Angels
to play the Japanese way.
Oh, really?
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
YUSEI KIKUCHI
He said he wants his team
to fight with spirit.
-Thank you.
-I have high hopes.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
SHOHEI OHTANI
DECEMBER 2025
FLORIDA, USA
Victory.
With that singular goal in mind,
he met with Andrew Friedman,
president of Dodgers baseball operations,
and shared his vision with him, too.
JANUARY 19, 2026
SELECTION MEETING
We'd like to start off by asking you
to put together the tournament roster.
Of the MLB players,
we're still waiting to hear back from
Okamoto. That's it.
About Okamoto,
Murakami got back to us when?
A few days ago, right? On Friday?
It was a week after he officially signed,
so Okamoto should be coming soon, too.
With Yoshida confirmed, Okamoto is
the only fielder we're waiting on.
THIRD BASE COACH
EISHIN SOYOGI
I think we'll hear from him
before we have to make our announcement.
We're going with Murakami
at first base, right?
-And Okamoto at third base?
-That's right.
GAME PLANNING COACH
NOBUHIRO MATSUDA
Kamei, that means
Kondoh plays right field?
And Yoshida in left?
FIRST BASE COACH
YOSHIYUKI KAMEI
Yoshida seemed fully fit, right?
He's in good condition to play.
Do you have a center fielder in mind?
BENCH COACH
MAKOTO KANEKO
Seiya Suzuki?
It has to be Seiya, right?
Yeah, if we consider
Kondoh and Suzuki locks,
we'll have to see when to sub Yoshida out.
BULLPEN COACH
YOSHINORI MURATA
For pinch hitters, Teru or Morishita.
Teruaki Sato could play outfield, too.
He played 27 games there last season.
And if there's a lefty on the mound,
Morishita can go into center field.
Seven, eight
Ibata, where are you
thinking of using Kikuchi?
PITCHING COACH
KAZUKI YOSHIMI
If he's pitching against Korea
in the second game
-Yamamoto?
-Yamamoto could start the first game.
PITCHING COACH
ATSUSHI NOHMI
And Sugano goes in the third game.
-We'll have someone piggyback off him?
-Yes, exactly.
Let's go with this for the 30-man roster.
FEBRUARY 14, 2026
DAY 1 OF MIYAZAKI CAMP
It's here. It's starting.
It's nerve-racking when something
you've prepped for for three years begins.
Was it a long journey here?
Well, it felt like it.
Because we only got one tourney a year,
with long gaps in between.
That made it feel long.
The prep camp in Miyazaki began.
After three long years of preparations,
it was finally time for the WBC.
Time for Samurai Japan to move out.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Wow, it's cold in Miyazaki.
We finally meet.
Thank you. Let's do this.
-I'm counting on you.
-Yes, sir.
Hey, it's the Japanese champion.
-We finally meet.
-Thank you.
We finally meet.
On this day,
the team was joined by a trusty aide.
Yu Darvish.
Darvish!
TEAM ADVISOR
YU DARVISH
Good morning.
Look forward to working with you.
Okay!
Nice pitch!
Do you have clocks in bullpens?
Well, not anymore.
We did in the initial adjustment period,
but not anymore, no.
Did you use them in camp?
Not the first one, but in the fall camp.
Oh, in the fall?
For what it's worth,
think about when you'll be going out.
The scenario. Like in the Korea game,
facing Hyun Min Ahn.
Keep that in mind.
How serious is up to you,
but picture the pitch clock
and picture who you'll be facing.
-For the last five pitches. That'll help.
-Right.
He's so cool.
Darvish's words were simple
and always carried a clear message.
Just the last five or six pitches will do.
Picture the batter there.
Okay, got it.
For the last five pitches,
picture the pitch clock
and the batters you're likely to face
as you throw.
Understood.
Yeah, nice pitch!
Adapting to the pitch clock,
a new addition to this year's WBC,
was going to be a big challenge
for the catchers as well.
Darvish feared the impact on Samurai Japan
would be significant.
So, Japanese catchers.
They tend to look at the batter's faces
and their previous swings
to decide how to call pitches.
That's why the pitch clock
is so challenging for us.
They should start prepping early
while they have all this time
and get used to it
as they do their bullpen sessions here.
That's what I told them.
Meetings analyzing their opponents
started early, right here in this camp.
It was Darvish's idea.
Number 23, Hyun Min Ahn.
We faced this batter last year
in the exhibition games.
He was KBO's rookie of the year last year.
His stats were impressive, too.
He'll be one of Korea's key guys.
So, if you can keep this in mind
I know it's impossible to
memorize all of this all at once.
But you can take it one step at a time.
If you can't memorize the name,
memorize the batting form.
You'll have time after practice every day,
so make sure you go over each player.
You can't assume you'll make it
to the Miami leg of the tournament.
You need to use this time
and put in the work to make it happen.
Trust your catchers
and throw the pitches they call for you.
That's all you have to do.
Other than that, just make sure
to maximize your time here.
THIS IS A CLOSED PRACTICE
ENTRY TO THE VENUE IS NOT PERMITTED
REFRAIN FROM WATCHING FROM NEARBY
One more, with the windup.
The batters have a pitch clock,
so they'll be counting down as well.
So be strategic about the remaining time.
If you mix it up, leaving one second
or six seconds on the clock,
they'll start thinking about it.
So you force them
to process extra information.
One more thing.
Batters only get one timeout.
They can only take one timeout per at-bat.
The major leaguers are used to it,
but the players
in the Tokyo round won't be.
Get them to use it early.
They'll want to use the timeout.
Once they use it up,
they won't have that peace of mind.
So if you delay your pitch,
sometimes they'll get impatient
and call a timeout.
After that, they'll have to
get in the box right away.
You can put pressure on them.
Right now?
I wasn't looking just now.
I was going for the nine-second mark.
Before the batter sets up,
if we enter the set position
and get ready to throw,
the umpire will come out and do this
to signal to make eye contact.
You get one warning
before they start calling it a ball,
so stay calm and don't forget.
-Covering first base will suck.
-True.
I'll still be out of breath.
Time's up. Violation.
You can change the ball here.
Darvish himself provided a model example
of how to work around the pitch clock.
If your internal clock is accurate,
you don't even have to look.
You'll just know from your routine.
You won't even panic.
And you can ask for a new ball too.
It wasn't just the battery, though.
Batters also had to adjust.
Where will the timer be?
-Don't see one.
-Well
Around there. To the left
or right of the batter's eye.
Nothing here?
-Nope.
-No, right?
Makes sense.
Only the bench.
Right.
Kon, you were like this.
-Wait, maybe
-Could be a violation.
When you squat.
Like this, and this.
Yeah, I might run out of time.
Gotta look first.
Can you do that?
They had to get used to it.
Although they knew that, adapting to it
wasn't so simple.
You have to be ready
by the eight-second mark,
even if the pitcher isn't set?
Right. You have to.
I see.
For a batter,
you just have to enter
your stance in time.
No need to load up.
Even if the pitcher
Doesn't matter.
Is that so?
I might follow the pitcher.
Well, try it out for now,
and see if there is
room for improvement.
Or figure out something
that works for you.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
The major leaguers joined
toward the end of the camp.
Hello.
Good to see you.
-Same here.
-Let's do this.
Sorry I'm late.
You look in good shape.
Yeah, I feel decent.
-Thanks for coming.
-Right.
-Will you join the team now?
-Yeah, right after this.
-As planned?
-Yes.
Looking forward to it.
I'm counting on you.
Let's start off with a neutral expression.
Perfect. Okay. One more time. All right!
Last one Okay! Now give us a smile.
Thank you.
First time since 2017?
Almost ten years ago.
A decade?
Nine years? Yeah.
So, nine years ago.
Nine years.
Since pitching in the semifinals?
Right.
Am I done?
Soon, the Miyazaki camp wrapped up.
Darvish promised to meet everyone again
in the Miami leg
and parted ways with the team.
Look at you bawling.
Here we go. Ready?
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you very much.
I'll see you in Miami. Good luck in Tokyo.
Thank you very much.
WORLD CHAMPIONS AGAIN
GO SAMURAI JAPAN
FEBRUARY 25, 2026
NAGOYA
Yoshida, who was named
to the 2023 All-WBC Team,
joined the team in Nagoya.
Hey, long time no see.
I'd forgotten you were scheduled
to join us today.
-Right. I'm not sure why.
-Let's do this.
Hello.
Good to see you.
Hey!
-Long time no see.
-Did you get promoted?
Dayum!
-Hello.
-Hello.
Let's do this.
I made it, somehow.
What hat size would you like?
This one is 60.5 centimeters.
I'm a size 57 or so.
Found one.
You found one?
The brim is so wide.
But it goes away after this edition.
Do I look gross?
Gross?
-Nope.
-Is it gross?
-You look good.
-Not at all gross.
You mean that?
Thank you very much.
Will this do?
Thank you.
Let's go with that.
It's so wide.
A wide brim.
Is it wide?
This makes no sense.
Yeah, it is wide.
-Right?
-Very wide.
You look good, okay?
In-game version?
You'll wear that.
-For real?
-Yep.
Oh, you didn't get to last time.
Nope.
It's a big difference.
Three years ago, Suzuki withdrew
before the tournament due to injury.
-Here we go, then.
-Right.
Okay, one more. Last one. Good.
Now give us a smile.
Thank you. Very nice.
Thank you.
And one other man joined the fray.
OHTANI
-Hello.
-Hello.
-Hello.
-Hello.
Hey there.
Turn right.
Got it.
Hello.
Hello.
-Am I late?
-Oh, look.
Hello, all.
Let's do this.
Good to see you.
Hello. Over here.
Thanks.
Let's do this.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Hello.
Hello. Good to see you.
Hello, I'm Soyogi.
Likewise.
Hello, I'm Kamei.
Nice to meet you.
-Hey there.
-Good to see you.
Let's do this.
Let's do this.
Excuse me. It's good to see you.
Glad you could make it.
You must be tired, no?
A little. But I'm fine.
Oh, hey! Good to see you.
Glad you could make it.
So, once again,
Sugano and Kikuchi have joined us.
We're counting on you.
Yoshida, Ohtani, Suzuki,
and in Matsui's place,
Kanemaru are all joining us from today.
So let's get together for a fresh start.
Hey, wait.
Wait for me.
Let's go. You're taking too long.
Yes, hello.
Running late.
Seiya, you're running late.
This guy, I swear.
Shohei and Seiya.
NOVEMBER 2016
EXHIBITION GAMES
Hurry up and go.
Just go.
Just go, man.
Both of them born in 1994,
and both of them
first called up to Samurai Japan
when they were 22.
Nice, Shohei.
Nice, Seiya.
What was that?
Counting on you.
Right back at you.
Counting on you in the first.
Wow, so loud! He's motivated!
He's crazy motivated!
He's totally in the mood to pitch.
Okay, I'm off.
See you.
Wait, I need water.
I need water.
You two get along.
-What?
-You two get along.
Surprisingly.
I just treat everyone the same.
Sure, but he had a different look.
Surely not.
He looks different than last time.
I really mean that.
It's all him.
If he hits, we win.
He just needs homers
off pitches out of the zone.
You'll probably hit after him, right?
Yeah, so
They might not give him
anything good to hit.
He just needs to hit the bad ba*ls, too.
Oh, by himself?
That's the level of responsibility
he needs to feel.
Then you'll tack on a few more runs?
I'll just do this.
The bunt I learned as a Samurai.
Let's go.
Don't give me that.
Do something about this guy.
-Yikes.
-Seriously.
Should I wear a hat too?
I can get it for you if you want.
If Shohei's wearing his, I will too.
Eh, show off your lovely hair.
Your mushroom hair.
Hello.
Let's do this.
I'd like to keep working with the team,
greeting one another, tomorrow and on,
and communicating. That would be best.
Thank you.
Same here.
Thank you.
"Tune up so you can play
from Osaka onwards,"
is what I was told.
Same here.
Wait, what was the question, again?
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Don't steal my lines.
What? Speak up first, then.
I'm so mad.
What the heck?
Is that really him?
He's huge!
He's so big in person.
-He's as built as Teruaki, too.
-Really? Wow.
He was really jovial.
He gives that impression.
Right after joining up, it was
straight to batting practice for Ohtani.
That's insane.
That went so high.
Such a high launch angle.
Twenty percent power?
Just making good contact.
He's amazing.
Glad I got another good show this year.
Club teams take their time
to build a sense of unity,
but national teams
don't have that privilege.
That's why speaking up is so important.
Way to go, support samurai!
Go for it.
You should switch.
You like it better there, right?
Kon! Run!
He sure is loud today.
He's in the zone.
I was like, "Run!"
I have a favorite character here.
My fave.
Thanks.
I've got one here, too.
Oh, nice.
And another one here, too.
MARCH 1, 2026
OSAKA
Even more major leaguers
joined the team in Osaka.
The cast had come together.
When did you arrive?
Last night.
Oh, last night?
Yeah.
Any jet lag?
I don't know. It's still the first day.
But I think
I feel like I've countered it pretty well.
You haven't been together
since the Olympics, right?
Probably.
Oh, yeah. We haven't been teammates since.
That's right.
Yeah, true.
He had an oblique injury last time.
Was it karma, maybe?
Do you think it was karma?
Probably.
Really?
I see.
I'm kidding. Seiya's an upstanding person.
He's here.
I need my locker.
Oh, hello. Good to see you.
I forgot my glove.
This sucks.
Thank you.
Everyone's watching.
Look over there.
I turn my head, right?
Right.
-Back on Team Japan. How does it feel?
-Yes.
After three years.
-Here I am again.
-Right.
-I was looking forward to this.
-Yeah?
Well, it's my first full day here,
so I'm still feeling a bit nervous.
But we had dinner last night
and the team was in high spirits,
so I'm even more excited now.
In the back of the dugout
before the exhibition game,
there was one player
standing around looking restless.
I was told to speak in the huddle.
I'm freaking out.
And last night, Ohtani told me
to come up with
a celebration for today's game.
I was up all night.
What's it like?
Look forward to it.
I racked my brain.
We all have to do that, right?
Yeah, I'm freaking out.
Kitayama!
That's why he's here?
-Hello, everyone!
-Hello!
Ohtani told me last night,
"Kitayama, come up with
a celebration for tomorrow."
It's an honor. I was up all night,
and I came up with one.
Good!
I picked an aspect of Japanese culture
to go up against the world with.
I'm from Kyoto,
and Kyoto is big on matcha.
I'll teach you the right way to drink tea.
-Go.
-Hold the cup with your left hand
and rotate it twice with your right
so the mouth is facing you.
-And drink.
-Oh, yikes.
What?
You'll be tired after getting a hit
and running the bases,
so take a break on base.
I am worried about one thing, though.
When things hit fever pitch,
you'll probably forget.
So do this to relax
after the hype dies down.
Please use it from today on.
-Let's go!
-Yeah!
Thank you.
Yeah, it looks like something else.
Teatime!
Go in front, Kitayama.
Think of another one, Kitayama.
Please, no more.
Hey there.
Kitayama!
-Respond!
-Yes, sir!
Okay!
-Hello, everyone!
-Hey!
A lot of you weren't into
yesterday's celebration.
It wasn't too popular, so I modified it.
Our new celly will be
the tea-stirring pose.
The word for stirring tea
is written with the kanji for "score."
Just like scoring runs in baseball.
So let's stir the diamond, stir the tea,
and score a bunch of runs together.
Do this one, please.
Do it today.
-Let's go!
-Yeah!
He refused to move away from tea.
The World Baseball Classic.
Opening day was almost here.
The team headed to Tokyo,
the host of the first round.
Ohtani!
Never once doubting Japan's victory,
the people's excitement was mounting,
and the Samurai could feel their hopes.
MARCH 6, 2026
4 HOURS BEFORE THE GAME
The day of the first game.
Four hours before play ball.
The manager, coaches, players,
and staff gathered together
for a meeting.
MANAGER
HIROKAZU IBATA
-Hello, everyone.
-Hello.
So, it's today.
The tournament is starting,
and I ask one thing of you all.
I want all thirty of you
to fight as one unit.
We attack as a team,
and we defend as a team.
If we can do that for every single game
in this tournament, nothing better.
As we get further into games,
by your second and third at-bats,
the pitcher will have changed
before you know it.
That's the scariest thing
about this tournament.
So I want you to fight as a team
from start to finish, in every game.
-Let's do this!
-Yeah!
May I speak?
So, it all begins today.
There won't be a single easy game.
That's the WBC. We'll be up against
baseball kids from all over the world
who picked up the game
in order to play in this tournament.
Especially on teams like
Czechia or Australia.
People might look down
on Czechia, Australia,
Korea, or Taiwan and underestimate them,
but I truly believe that
there are no easy games.
That's baseball, and in baseball,
you never know what might happen.
We'll be up against it,
but let's do our best.
Let's go.
The first round was a round-robin
with five teams in each pool.
Only the top two teams in each pool would
advance to the quarterfinals in America.
In contrast to the buzz
around the stadium,
Suzuki was all by himself indoors,
swinging his trusty bat.
Oh, not good.
That monster's going to hit.
Did he go into the cage?
Okay. Thank you.
Now I just have to perform.
k*ll or be k*lled.
Eat or be eaten.
That's all.
So I'mma feast!
I want to try that.
Go the other way. This way.
That's fun.
Gather round, everybody.
Who's doing the rallying cry today?
Who's up?
Seiya?
Let's do this.
Yeah!
Let's score a bunch of runs! Here we go!
Go, Shugo Maki!
Hello, all.
Starting today
is a tournament that the world
and all of Japan will be watching.
For the guys who are out with injuries,
for the support staff
who helped get us here,
and for all the fans cheering us on
Let's shoulder their hopes and fight.
One thing from me.
Even if you mess up, stay positive.
What?
Okay, one more time.
Even if you mess up, stay positive.
Don't get a hit? Get one next time.
If that doesn't work,
let's back each other up.
Okay, okay, okay!
Are you ready?
This is game one of seven remaining.
We're going for the win today.
Here I go!
Let's do this!
We've got each other's backs.
Let's do this.
All right.
The starter, Yoshinobu Yamamoto,
did his final warm-ups
twenty minutes before the game.
Okay, splitter.
Splitter.
-In the zone.
-Okay.
Whoa, that scared me.
Sorry about that.
That was 88.
And a bit high.
Fastball low and outside.
Low and outside.
He'd teamed up with old Orix Buffaloes
battery mate Wakatsuki
for the first time in three years.
That sucked.
Crowding the box?
No, no, the issue's with me.
-That's 95.
-Yep.
Relax.
Curveball.
Outside.
Hmm
It'll probably be fine.
Once I'm out there.
My fastballs feel
like they're missing.
Should I slow that one down?
A bit, yeah.
Nah, I just mean how it feels to me.
It feels off.
1ST ROUND
CHINESE TAIPEI VS. JAPAN
TOP OF THE 1ST INNING
Japan bats first.
The leadoff batter is Ohtani.
The first pitch.
He got a hit already?
Nice.
Let's go, Yoshinobu.
All right.
I'm good.
Let's go.
YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO
BOTTOM OF THE 1ST INNING
He sits them down in just ten pitches.
A great start.
TOP OF THE 2ND INNING
Home run, home run.
You went overboard.
You hit 158 kmph too.
Oh yeah, I did.
The bullpen sucked, though.
Splitter's fast.
It is.
The top of the second's going on forever.
There are no easy games.
That's why they must
take advantage when they can.
Yamamoto has more than enough run support.
And yet
In the third inning,
his control falls apart.
Runners on first and second with two out.
He's run into trouble.
Let's go.
Fujihira.
Put Fujihira in.
Let's go, Fujihira.
After giving up
his third walk in this game,
Yamamoto leaves the mound.
That sucked.
So bad.
Good work out there.
The fork felt better than in the bullpen.
Better than the bullpen, yeah.
Fujihira takes over on the mound.
He gets out of
the bases-loaded, two-out jam.
All right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let's go.
Thank you so much.
You're amazing.
How so?
Don't act humble
after throwing those pitches.
-No, I
-You're scary.
I didn't even make it
through three innings.
Hey, they said if you don't
complete three innings,
you'd be fired. That means you're fired.
No Miami for me.
Stop that. Please come.
So, how was it, really?
Well
They put a lot of runs on the board.
So I could relax and pitch,
but I gave up too many walks.
Personally, I'm not too happy with myself.
You had trouble in the bullpen.
Right. My prep didn't feel right at all.
It got better out on the mound,
but I want it to go smoother next time.
Nice pitching.
Yay.
I'll try to make some adjustments
and do my best
to contribute more toward a victory.
Japan overwhelmed Chinese Taipei
on both offense and defense.
They won the all-important first game
via the mercy rule in the seventh.
1ST ROUND - GAME CALLED IN THE 7TH
CHINESE TAIPEI 0 - 13 JAPAN
MARCH 7, 2026
5 HOURS BEFORE KOREA GAME
Good morning.
-Hype man.
-Morning.
-Morning.
-Morning.
A day after the comfortable victory.
Hey there.
The hitters held a meeting
to go over the game plan
against the Korean pitchers.
Lastly, today's starter, Young Pyo Ko.
His sidearm is almost like an underthrow.
He only hits 140 kmph at maximum speed.
SHUUTO BALL - 134-141 KMPH
His fastballs all break arm-side,
so he's a true groundball pitcher.
He has trouble with lefty hitters.
It felt like the opponents' game plan
was to target high pitches,
or at least that's the impression I got.
His changeup breaks like a sinker,
but it floats up
and is really slow to the plate.
So righties have to watch out
for that circle change.
And for lefties, it'll be vital to keep
the eye level up in the zone.
Their pitching staff
Almost half the walks they give up
come around to score.
So they're far from infallible.
Whether it's a close game or a run fest,
if you keep putting pressure on them,
they will give you an opening.
Make sure you keep that in mind.
As you heard, he's an unusual pitcher,
so today's motto is to be thorough
and go at him from the first inning.
Right.
All right.
1ST ROUND
JAPAN VS. KOREA
TAKE ME TO MIAMI!
On the mound for Japan
is Yusei Kikuchi,
making his first WBC appearance.
The aggressive Korean lineup gets to him,
and he gives up three runs right away.
In the bottom of the first,
the leadoff batter Ohtani walks,
bringing up the 2-hole, Kondoh.
They'd been wary of
the pitch clock ever since camp,
but before the pitcher could even pitch,
Kondoh was down one strike in the count.
The shadow of the pitch clock
loomed large over Kondoh.
Even so,
he did the job of moving
the runner into scoring position.
Okay, the deficit's down to one run.
Hey, hey, hey.
Target specific pitches!
He barreled up the pitcher's
arm-side breaking fastball.
The meeting beforehand
gave birth to this beautiful home run.
That's more like it!
Just like the data said.
We bought ourselves time.
Okay, take deep breaths.
Korea gets two runners
on base again in the third,
but Kikuchi shuts them down.
Okay.
BOTTOM OF THE 3RD INNING
Come on! Come on!
All right!
SHOHEI OHTANI
We caught up. We caught up!
Okay!
All right!
It's time to play ball.
Go! Go!
It's all good. Next move.
Here we go, here we go!
What was it?
Slider. I was waiting for a changeup,
but he threw a slider.
Let's go!
Within a mere seven minutes,
Japan has hit three astonishing home runs.
This fires up the players waiting
for their turns, too.
I'm pumped!
We're the Gear-up Samurai.
The Gear-up Samurai.
Yeah, the Gear-up Samurai.
The pressure's really on, huh.
-19?
-I'm sure it's 19.
Who's gonna be the Last Samurai?
Who's the Last Samurai?
Which one of you?
I wouldn't mind playing.
Who's the Last Samurai?
TOP OF THE 7TH INNING
Korea catches up with Japan.
Taneichi takes the mound
in the seventh inning with the score tied.
He strikes out the side.
Hey, Tane. Nice work.
Brutal, man!
Good pitcher.
Ooh, it's number 60.
BOTTOM OF THE 7TH INNING
Two outs with a runner on third.
Ohtani is intentionally walked.
Korea also changes their pitcher.
Kondoh hasn't hit once
in either this game or the previous.
He's only been up eight times,
but eight times in the WBC batter's box
weighs heavily on him.
Please, god!
The batter's box looks like
it's gonna blow.
KONDOH
HIT A HOME RUN
In this electrifying scene,
Kondoh's batting eye prevails.
They walk,
and retake the lead.
Great job as always, Masa.
You really are a monster of the WBC.
I was nervous as hell.
Nice work, Kon.
So, I guess it's time we show up.
Shall we go?
All right. Let's do it!
In the final inning,
Gear-up Samurai Shuto takes center field
to bolster the defense.
1ST ROUND
JAPAN 8 - 6 KOREA
Japan won the close game against Korea,
claiming back-to-back victories.
We did it!
Nice home run.
Thank you very much. I'm relieved we won.
MARCH 8, 2026
AUSTRALIA GAME
Twenty-one runs in two games.
The batting lineup was going strong.
Yet one Samurai among them
had a glum look on his face.
It was Kensuke Kondoh.
Seeing his dismay,
those around him attempted
to brighten up the mood.
It's the same pattern as his.
He had the same thing last time.
No need to worry.
It's just your role. It's better.
In fact, you should avoid hits today.
That said, I did get a hit after all.
It's only been two games without a hit.
Exactly. No, really.
Don't let it get to you.
The batting average doesn't matter at all.
They're cheering me up.
These two youngsters.
I'm getting moral support from these boys.
-Kon
-You're such a handful.
Kon, I've been there.
I know how you feel. Seriously.
There are times when nothing works.
I mean, it's baseball.
The majority are mishits.
This was the first international game
attended by an emperor in 60 years.
1ST ROUND
JAPAN VS. AUSTRALIA
The starting pitcher
is 36-year-old Sugano.
It has actually been nine years
since he was last selected for Team Japan.
I've never made it
to number one in Japan
or number one in the world.
I can only imagine
how amazing the view would be from there.
So, I hope I can contribute toward that,
and I'll do my best to get us there.
SUGANO
Oh, Japan!
TOP OF THE 1ST INNING
After two outs in the first inning,
he finds himself in a jam.
He buckles down and gets out
without allowing a run.
A difficult start,
but he leaves the mound with some insight.
Whitefield hit a single to center.
I think we should go with big sliders.
I think, when the movement's smaller,
that's great for pressuring him
into two strikes,
but he isn't swinging big,
so with a small movement,
I think he can end up hitting it somehow.
If the slider's big,
he won't be able to match his swing.
I can do splits for right-handed hitters.
We could use it for our count, too.
Right. Would two-seams work, too?
For righties, yeah. I can do two-seams.
I'm sure they're aware, too.
So I'll have to make it tight.
And watch how they react.
The two make sure they're in sync,
then put it into the pitches.
Good. Keep it up.
Thank you.
Nice game calling.
Thank you very much.
It went just as we'd envisioned it.
Thanks to Wakatsuki.
He did a good job calling pitches.
I appreciated it.
I mean, all we can do is
adjust the pitches, so
We'll keep it up.
Man, that was great.
It really boosted the team's morale.
Japan finds itself
one run behind Australia.
BOTTOM OF THE 7TH INNING
Amazing. Too good.
BOTTOM OF THE 8TH INNING
Let's go! Gear up!
Shuto will replace Murakami
as the first base runner.
Teruaki Sato pinch-hits for Wakatsuki
in the ninth spot in the batting order.
Number seven, Sato.
Hit it here, hit it here, Teru!
Hit it here!
1ST ROUND
JAPAN 4 - 3 AUSTRALIA
Today's game put us
in first place in Group C,
which means
we are officially going to Miami.
Two days later, Japan won their game
against Czechia,
completing the first round undefeated.
THANK YOU FOR FLYING WITH US
Only four hours
after their game against Czechia,
Team Japan departed for
their next battleground, Miami.
Off we go.
MARCH 11, 2026 - 3 A.M.
After 14 hours in the air, the team landed
in Miami well after midnight.
The bus transporting Team Japan
drove nonstop, led by the police.
The team had a three-day adjustment period
before the quarterfinal game.
MARCH 11, 2026 - 3 P.M.
FLORIDA INTL. UNIVERSITY
Good morning.
Are you jet-lagged?
Doing okay so far.
Did you sleep?
I did. Got a lot of sleep.
That's my man.
I'm crazy sleepy right now.
It's brutal. Seriously.
How's your jet lag?
Well, I did sleep.
Napped this morning,
slept three hours yesterday
So, in total, I got a lot of sleep.
I'll see how the day goes.
My body feels heavy.
This humidity is insane.
A reassuring face returned to the team.
TEAM ADVISOR
YU DARVISH
Reunited in Miami, as promised.
How did your pitching go?
Pretty good, I think.
Is your curveball still tilting?
Yes. If I'm focused,
I can get it to go vertically, but
It's for all of the breaking ba*ls.
My split ba*ls keep tilting, too.
Rather than going on the field in uniform
like I did in Miyazaki,
I'm thinking I'll stay inside
and observe the other team
and just answer when they have questions.
MARCH 12, 2026
The next battleground, loanDepot park.
The starting pitcher for the quarterfinal
game would be Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Fastball.
Got it. Outside and low.
All right, nice ball.
Nice ball.
Tilting a bit?
No, it's good.
Is it straight?
I think it was straight.
Perfect.
Given the short window of time,
the placement of these two is crucial.
Would Kensuke Kondoh
make the starting lineup?
Or would it be Teruaki Sato?
Three years ago,
Kondoh was locked in as the 2-hole hitter.
But he had zero hits
throughout this year's first round.
On the other hand,
Sato had been showing up constantly.
Who would the manager choose?
From here on, it's a knockout system.
In the championship tournament,
if you lose, you're out.
Japan's opponent for the quarterfinals is
CHAMPION
Venezuela.
The team placed second in Pool D.
41 HR, 73 SB IN '23 MLB SEASON
With Acua Jr.
and Arrez, two elite hitters
3X MLB BATTING CHAMPION
and 25 major leaguers on the roster,
they're the South American powerhouse.
25 OUT OF 30 PLAYERS
PLAY IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE
It's at nine, so
OUTFIELDER MEETING
In the meeting the day before
So, keep that in mind,
and let's make sure we're prepared.
I'd like to hear from the three players
who have played a game against Venezuela.
Masataka, any comments?
Well, they do throw powerful ba*ls,
so we want to start moving fast.
We don't want to fall behind,
'cause they'll just keep coming.
Try not to get too nervous,
even if they get you in a tight spot.
I think many of their pitchers
have a tendency to throw easy ba*ls,
so don't panic
even if you're in a two-strike count.
Stay focused and wait
for them to throw those easy ones.
Shohei, anything?
Not really.
I think we're good.
I mean, the players we just watched here
tend to throw a lot of easy ba*ls.
They don't bank on pitch command.
They'll just keep coming.
Their changeups can be careless, too.
Even for left-handed batters,
I think it won't be a problem at all.
MARCH 14, 2026
DAY OF THE QUARTERFINALS
-Good morning.
-Good morning.
We hadn't announced the starting lineup,
so we're doing that now.
-First batter, DH, Ohtani.
-Yes, sir.
-Second, right field, Sato.
-Yes, sir.
-Third, center field, Suzuki.
-Yes, sir.
-Fourth, left field, Yoshida.
-Yes, sir.
-Fifth, third base, Okamoto.
-Yes, sir.
-Sixth, first base, Murakami.
-Yes, sir.
-Seventh, second base, Maki.
-Yes, sir.
-Eighth, shortstop, Genda.
-Yes, sir.
Ninth, catcher, Wakatsuki.
That's the lineup we'll go with.
Yes, sir.
Yes. This is good. Good, good.
I was preparing myself, in case.
I was hoping I'd be
in the starting lineup.
Now I just have to do
what I'm supposed to.
VENEZUELA TEAM HITTING COACH
MIGUEL CABRERA
The showdown is now only minutes away.
The Samurai's true battle
is about to begin.
Japan! Japan!
Let's give it our all
from the first inning.
Here we go!
Today's battle cry leader is Masataka!
Here we go!
-Morning.
-Good morning!
We've got three games from today.
The atmosphere will be different,
so don't get sucked in by it.
We'll win today against a strong team
and get off to a strong start
for these next three games.
But what we have to do won't change.
"Do my best."
We've gotta give it all we've got.
Got it?
Let's all work together
and win these next three games.
-All right. Let's go!
-Yeah!
QUARTERFINALS
JAPAN VS. VENEZUELA
Okay, let's go.
Hey!
On fire!
-Hey!
-Hey!
-Hey!
-Hey!
Hey!
Japan's starting pitcher
is Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The leadoff batter for Venezuela
is Major League superstar
Acua Jr.
Yamamoto delivers a fierce 155 kmph ball,
but Acua turns it into a strong home run.
It was high, though.
Can I go change first?
Sorry, could I
That was the only one.
Yeah.
Let's stick to the plan for now.
Stick to the plan, sure.
I think your pitches can hold up enough.
Let me know if you think
I should change anything.
Sure, okay.
The splitter feels good.
They are. Curveballs, too.
I think I can make them a bit better.
BOTTOM OF THE 1ST INNING
Ohtani is Japan's leadoff batter.
With a single swing,
he completely flips the atmosphere.
Nice!
Green tea, green tea!
Then, third hitter Suzuki
walks to first base with a base on ba*ls.
With two outs,
Okamoto steps up to the plate.
BOTTOM OF THE 1ST INNING
The next moment,
a mixed roar of cheers and screams
fills the stadium.
Suzuki started running from first base,
sliding headfirst onto second.
Disaster struck.
Anyone could see that immediately.
A wave of concern takes over the bench.
Hang in there!
It didn't sound like a hamstring snapping.
Feels like my knee.
Is it painful?
No, not right now.
I can't put any weight on it, though.
And the other side?
Give him a minute. Give him a minute.
Morishita.
Yes?
Be ready.
Yes, sir.
It was a twist in the knee.
The shift cheat sheet.
Oh, that sheet?
TOP OF THE 2ND INNING
While Suzuki is taken out of the game,
Yamamoto stands struggling on the field.
On to the third inning.
Arrez goes up to bat
and increases Venezuela's chances.
He moves the runner to third base.
To prevent any more runs,
Japan can't risk
even a fly to the outfield.
So Yamamoto switches gears.
Are they waiting for a fastball?
I wonder.
Am I going too easy?
How to sense and figure out
the opponents' tactics
Behind the scenes,
elaborate strategies are being formulated.
They wouldn't want a fastball here.
Behind them is Morishita.
The man who was urgently added
to the game in place of the injured Suzuki
quietly prepares for his turn at bat.
His changeup ba*ls stay
around the middle, height-wise.
They don't fall too much.
Right, they don't fall much.
They just go into the mitt.
Just glide and boom.
Let's do this!
Breaking ba*ls are slow.
Right.
I really think we can get those.
Fastballs and these, though
They're tricky.
In the bottom of the third inning,
Japan has an opening.
Ohtani goes up to bat.
He's intentionally walked.
Venezuela chooses to face off
with the second hitter, Sato.
WORLD CHAMPIONS TOGETHER
With only one out, and runners on second
and third, they have another chance.
Morishita steps into the batter's box.
After two ba*ls and two strikes,
it is the fifth pitch.
SHOTA MORISHITA
Yes!
All right! Yeah!
Go Tigers!
Hell yeah!
All right!
I focused so hard!
Man, I was so focused!
Nice!
In the fourth inning that follows,
Yamamoto finally gets his pitching back.
TOP OF THE 4TH INNING
Seiya, do you mind?
What's the situation?
I can't tell yet.
Is it painful?
No.
It doesn't really hurt.
Feels more like it's popped out.
-Popped out?
-Popped out.
I mean, I've never hurt my knee before,
so I really don't have any clue.
I can't tell what'll happen.
More importantly, let's cheer them on.
-Let's cheer them on.
-Please.
Morishita hit a home run.
-He did indeed.
-Yep.
He was super nervous.
He's fine.
He'll be just fine.
Yamamoto protects Japan's three-run lead,
fulfilling his primary objective.
-Good job.
-Thanks.
How was it?
-I scraped by.
-Scraped by, huh?
Yeah.
I sucked in the beginning.
How was that leadoff batter?
No, I was just garbage.
I do that a lot in the first inning.
It's frustrating.
-Good job.
-Thank you.
Good job.
How are you doing?
Pitch again tomorrow.
Not happening. I'll be cheering too.
Let's cheer them on loudly.
TOP OF THE 5TH INNING
Pitching second for Japan is Sumida.
One out, runner on first.
Venezuela's second hitter, Garcia,
steps into the box.
During the pre-game meeting,
the team's analyst shared
strategies against Garcia.
PRE-GAME BATTERY MEETING
If we want to go with fastballs,
lower fastballs can be pretty effective.
A really intentional, low trajectory.
For breaking ba*ls with movement,
changeups, or splits,
he tends to swing even for the tight ones
at the edge of the zone.
So, for those pitches,
it might be worth aiming
just barely within the zone
rather than letting it go out
of the strike zone.
TOP OF THE 5TH INNING
Japan pressures Garcia with low fastballs.
Garcia squeezes out three foul ba*ls,
making this next pitch the eighth.
Time to wrap it up
with another lower fastball.
Team Japan's battery had no doubts
about their decision.
Venezuela picks up momentum once again.
The suggestion was a fastball,
low and inside.
It was just one wrong pitch,
but Garcia didn't miss his chance.
In the top of the sixth inning,
Hiromi Itoh takes the mound.
In 2023, he held his opponents scoreless
during three games, including the final,
contributing to Japan's victory.
His first pitch to the leadoff batter
results in a foul ball, then
a pitch clock violation.
More than the added ball count,
getting his rhythm disrupted is
what affected him.
Back-to-back singles follow.
No outs, runners on first and third.
And in the batter's box
Abreu from the Boston Red Sox.
Man, it's the bottom of the sixth.
With no hits during the series,
Kondoh couldn't make the starting lineup.
Still, he holds on to hope
and prepares himself.
Oh, he did it!
Dang, he hit it off the handle.
New pitcher, Kon.
I saw. Right-handed pitcher.
-Ukyo?
-Yes?
Could you bring me his data?
Sure thing.
From a three-run lead at one point,
Japan has now fallen two runs behind.
They cannot allow any more runs.
TOP OF THE 7TH INNING
Taneichi takes the mound
and breaks Venezuela's momentum.
Yes, okay!
Taneichi is entrusted
with the next inning, too.
I'm pitching one more.
-Go all the way.
-For sure.
I'll stop 'em.
It's the eighth inning.
No outs, and a runner on second.
TOP OF THE 8TH INNING
Japan goes for a set play.
After drawing out the runner,
the pickoff attempt fails abysmally.
The runner comes home from second base,
scoring a run for Venezuela.
Japan is now three runs behind.
Let's do it, Kazuma!
Yusei Kikuchi is seen warming up his arm.
He claimed this WBC championship
would be his first and last.
He heads to the mound.
TOP OF THE 9TH INNING
He leaves hope for Japan's final attack.
Good, good, good!
Let's go!
Let's go! Let's do this!
Let's do this!
BOTTOM OF THE 9TH INNING
Three strikes, and Genda goes down.
One out.
At this moment, the manager chooses Kondoh
as the pinch hitter.
Kondoh is in a two-strike count.
QUARTERFINALS
JAPAN 5 - 8 VENEZUELA
-Good game, everyone.
-Good game.
You know, even from the offseason,
you all started preparing early on,
and got here in amazing condition.
So I feel that I'm entirely responsible
for today's loss.
I want you all
to leave this stadium
with your heads held high.
Team Japan won the last championship,
which is why this time, these other teams
fought us with all their might.
And for the next championship,
I know you'll all keep getting better
to go even higher.
You'll become even stronger players
and build an even stronger team,
and contribute
to the future of baseball itself.
So, I want you to use this loss
as motivation for yourselves
in the upcoming season.
Thank you very, very much.
Thank you, sir.
MARCH 17, 2026
FINALS
Three days later,
Venezuela went on to prove
that they were the best in the world.
VENEZUELA'S FIRST WBC TITLE
A team that only made it
to the top eight last time
conquered what was said to be
the strongest Team USA ever
and won their first title.
For the first time,
the trophy went to South America.
Let us congratulate the winners
and encourage the losers
to keep moving forward.
Samurai Japan
won't stop here.
SAMURAI
After all, we had our sights set
on the championship, nothing less.
We all agreed to see each other again
on this team,
so I'll keep working toward that goal.
I had said this would be
my first and last time, but, you know
I now feel that I'd like to come back
in four years.
It is frustrating to lose at this point,
and, personally, I think I failed
to do anything to help.
I want to become a player that
wouldn't throw that one careless ball.
I believe that's where I'm falling short.
I realized there's a lot I still lack
and many things that I can improve,
so I'll keep working on them.
Respond!
-Yes, sir!
-Okay!
Our new celly will be
the tea-stirring pose.
Seriously?
After all, baseball's all about
helping each other out.
Good. Keep it up.
Nice game calling.
That was my first hit on Team Japan.
I felt terrible
for the trouble I caused my team,
but the other players covered for me.
-Happy birthday.
-Happy birthday!
Nice, nice.
34 years old?
-You're old.
-Aren't you 33?
Oh, wait, I'm 33.
We all made so much green tea,
I feel it sloshing around in my stomach.
Now a smile, please.
Thank you.
Okay, one more.
It's crazy, right?
You freaked me out!
Wow, it's you.
Where did you get that from?
I'm gonna prank Shohei later.
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Beyond the Game: Samurai 2026 World Baseball Classic (2026)
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