Shohei Ohtani grabs a lot of headlines and rightfully so, but Japan’s roster for the World Baseball Classic is much more than a one-man show.
The reigning WBC champions are stacked with stars, and arguably no one shone brighter during Saturday’s game versus Korea than Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who missed the previous Classic with an oblique injury.
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Suzuki crushed two home runs during Japan’s 8-6 victory, making him the third Japanese player to have a multi-homer performance in the WBC. Suzuki homered in the bottom of the first, belting a two-run shot to the opposite field that got Samurai Japan back into the game after Korea put up three runs in the top of the frame.
Japan then launched three home runs in the third inning, and Suzuki’s solo shot to left-center was right in the middle of the action.
“He's so great. His first jack and second jack, both of them were very nice,” Ohtani said. “His swing mechanics are great. Then he also took the walk in his fourth at-bat. He's great.”
The 31-year-old Suzuki’s most important plate appearance may have come in the seventh inning. It wasn’t another home run, but rather a bases-loaded walk that gave him his fourth RBI and gave Japan a lead that held up for the rest of the contest.
Suzuki, who bopped a career-high 32 homers last year, is off to a hot start through two games in the Classic, going 3-for-7 with four runs scored and those two homers. He has reached base in five of his nine plate appearances. Another big season for the Cubs might be on the horizon for Suzuki, but right now, he's displaying why he is a key reason Samurai Japan can repeat as WBC champs.