Pre-Tournament Preparation and Squad Selection
In the fall of 2022, Hideki Kuriyama was appointed manager of Samurai Japan with a singular mission: win the World Baseball Classic. Kuriyama, who had developed Shohei Ohtani into a two-way star during his tenure with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, leveraged his personal relationships to recruit MLB-based players. Ohtani (Angels) committed early, becoming the team's gravitational center. Yu Darvish (Padres), at 36, volunteered and joined the Miyazaki training camp to mentor younger pitchers. Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) and Masataka Yoshida (Red Sox) also signed on, creating a dream roster of Japan's finest MLB talent. From NPB, Kuriyama selected Munetaka Murakami (Swallows), who had hit 56 home runs in 2022, triple-crown pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Buffaloes), 165 km/h fireballer Roki Sasaki (Marines), batting champion Kensuke Kondo (Hawks), Sosuke Genda (Lions), and Yuhei Nakamura (Swallows). The pitching staff included Shota Imanaga (BayStars), Shosei Togo (Giants), Yuki Udagawa (Buffaloes), Oosei (Giants), and Kyogo Yuasa (Tigers), covering every role from starter to closer with elite arms. Kuriyama's philosophy was 'everyone is a star,' and he deliberately broke down barriers between MLB and NPB players. At camp, Darvish took the lead in engaging younger players, while Ohtani's all-out effort in every practice session elevated the entire team's intensity.
Nootbaar's Selection and Significance as a Japanese-Heritage Player
The most talked-about selection was Lars Nootbaar of the Cardinals. Born and raised in the United States, Nootbaar qualified for Japan through his Japanese mother, Kumiko. The 25-year-old outfielder had posted 14 home runs and a .788 OPS with St. Louis in 2022, making him a legitimate contributor on merit. Yet for Japanese fans, seeing an American-raised player who did not speak Japanese don the Samurai Japan uniform was a novel experience. Nootbaar won over the team and the nation with his infectious energy and hustle. His 'pepper mill' celebration after hits spread throughout the squad and became the tournament's signature gesture. The celebration became a cultural phenomenon in Japan, with pepper mill sales surging nationwide. Batting leadoff in all seven games, Nootbaar hit .276 with 1 home run and 8 RBI. Beyond the statistics, his presence embodied the WBC's unique narrative of heritage players representing their ancestral nations, symbolizing the global reach of Japanese baseball. His mother Kumiko, tearfully cheering from the stands, became one of the tournament's most enduring images, and Nootbaar has maintained enormous popularity in Japan ever since.
Dominant Pool Play and Pitching Excellence
Japan opened the tournament on March 9 at Tokyo Dome with a commanding 8-1 victory over China. Ohtani started on the mound, pitching 4 innings with 1 run allowed, and contributed an RBI hit as a batter. The rout continued with a 13-4 demolition of South Korea, a 10-2 win over the Czech Republic, and a 7-1 victory over Australia, completing a 4-0 sweep. Japan's combined score through pool play was 38-8, with the pitching staff proving particularly dominant. Yamamoto threw 5 scoreless innings against the Czech Republic, while Sasaki touched 164 km/h against Australia and overwhelmed hitters with his fastball. The relief corps of Udagawa, Oosei, and Yuasa maintained a stranglehold, giving opponents no room to rally. Tokyo Dome was packed to its approximately 42,000 capacity for every game as the nation rallied behind Samurai Japan. In the quarterfinals, Japan faced Italy and won 9-3, with Ohtani pitching 5 innings of 1-run ball and starring at the plate. International media hailed him as 'the most talented baseball player on the planet.'
The Mexico Semifinal - Murakami's Walk-Off Heroics
The semifinal at LoanDepot Park in Miami pitted Japan against a formidable Mexico squad featuring Randy Arozarena (Rays) and Alex Verdugo (Red Sox). Japan found itself in trouble early. Starter Roki Sasaki surrendered a 2-run homer to Arozarena in the 3rd inning and exited after 3-plus innings with 3 runs allowed. Mexico added to their lead, and by the end of the 7th inning, Japan trailed 3-5. The comeback began in the 8th. Ohtani led off with a double, Yoshida singled, and Kensuke Kondo launched a go-ahead 3-run homer to left field, putting Japan up 6-5. Mexico tied it at 6-6 in the bottom of the 8th, setting up a dramatic 9th inning. With one out and runners on first and third, Munetaka Murakami stepped to the plate. Murakami had struggled throughout the tournament, hitting just .091 in pool play, and the weight of the cleanup spot had visibly burdened him. But in the biggest moment, Murakami laced a walk-off double to center field, scoring the winning run in a 7-6 victory. He sprinted around the bases screaming in elation as teammates mobbed him. The hit became the tournament's defining moment, a redemption story of a slugger rising when it mattered most. 'I always believed in Murakami. He's a man who delivers on the big stage,' Kuriyama said afterward.
The Final - Ohtani vs Trout for the Championship
On March 21, Japan faced the host United States in the final. Team USA boasted Mike Trout (Angels), Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals), Trea Turner (Phillies), and Tim Anderson (White Sox). Shota Imanaga started for Japan and delivered 5 innings of 2-run ball. Japan took the lead on Murakami's sacrifice fly in the 2nd and Kazuma Okamoto's RBI single in the 3rd for a 2-0 advantage. Ohtani went 2-for-4 at the plate, contributing on both sides. The US fought back with Trea Turner's solo homer in the 3rd and Kyle Schwarber's sacrifice fly in the 5th to tie it 2-2, but Murakami's RBI single in the bottom of the 5th restored Japan's lead at 3-2. From the 6th inning onward, Japan's bullpen locked down. Togo, Ito, and Oosei combined to shut out the American lineup through the 8th. For the 9th, Kuriyama made the bold call to bring in Ohtani as closer. Ohtani allowed a leadoff single to Mookie Betts but retired the next two batters to bring up Mike Trout, his Angels teammate, as the final batter. The 36,000 fans at LoanDepot Park held their breath as the 'world's best pitcher versus world's best hitter' showdown unfolded. The count ran full. Ohtani's final pitch was a devastating slider. Trout swung and missed. Ohtani flung his glove skyward and let out a primal scream as teammates rushed the mound. Japan defeated the United States 3-2 to claim its third WBC title, the first since 2009. Ohtani was unanimously named tournament MVP after posting a .435 batting average with 1 home run and 8 RBI, while recording a 1.86 ERA across 9.2 innings pitched in 2 appearances.
Tournament Records and Individual Performances
Japan finished the 2023 WBC with a perfect 7-0 record. The team batted .299 collectively, scored 56 runs, and allowed just 22, dominating on both sides of the ball. Ohtani's .435 average (10-for-23) with 1 homer and 8 RBI, combined with his 1.86 ERA over 9.2 innings, made him the clear MVP. Kensuke Kondo led the team with 13 RBI on a .346 average and 2 home runs, his semifinal 3-run blast being the most clutch hit of the tournament. Masataka Yoshida batted .409 as a reliable table-setter in the middle of the lineup. Among pitchers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto started twice and posted a 1.29 ERA, while Imanaga held the US to 2 runs in the final. Sasaki's 164 km/h fastball drew global attention despite his rough semifinal outing. Relievers Oosei and Udagawa each appeared in 4 games with a 0.00 ERA, providing flawless bullpen support. Defensively, Sosuke Genda played through a fractured right pinky finger, delivering steady shortstop play that earned him praise as the embodiment of 'samurai spirit.'
The WBC's Lasting Impact on NPB and Japanese Baseball
The 2023 WBC victory sent shockwaves through Japanese baseball. The final drew a 42.4% TV rating in the Kanto region, the second-highest in WBC history behind the 2006 inaugural final (43.4%). The Mexico semifinal also recorded 42.5%, remarkable given its late-night broadcast time in Japan. The excitement carried into the 2023 NPB season, with combined attendance across both leagues rising approximately 20% year-over-year. Teams with WBC participants saw particularly sharp increases in gate numbers. The 'Nootbaar effect' drove explosive sales of Cardinals merchandise in Japan, expanding MLB's footprint in the Japanese market. The pepper mill celebration became a fixture at NPB stadiums and was nominated for Japan's Buzzword of the Year. Individual careers were transformed. Ohtani's WBC dominance contributed to his record-shattering 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers that offseason, with his two-way WBC performance cited as a factor in the valuation. Yamamoto's WBC outings caught MLB scouts' attention, leading to his 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers. Imanaga signed with the Cubs, his final-starting role boosting his profile with MLB front offices. Kuriyama's tactical decisions, especially deploying Ohtani as closer in the final, were hailed as masterstrokes. He could have preserved Ohtani for a potential extra-innings start, but chose to put his best player on the mound for the biggest moment, a decision that produced the greatest scene in WBC history. Japan's third title, following 2006 and 2009, reaffirmed the nation's standing as international baseball's preeminent power and reignited public passion for the sport across the country.