Former Oriole among 11 joining Ohtani on Samurai Japan

Shohei Ohtani is getting some company.

On Friday morning in Japan, the national team announced the next 11 players who are set to join the Dodgers superstar in the World Baseball Classic. Leading the way is veteran starter Tomoyuki Sugano, currently a free agent after spending the 2025 season with the Baltimore Orioles. He’ll be returning to Samurai Japan after last appearing in '17, when he tied with Mets pitcher Kodai Senga for the tournament lead with 16 strikeouts.

Though Sugano, who went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA in Baltimore last season, is the only player announced on Friday with MLB experience, five others with WBC experience were also revealed. They are Shugo Maki, a slugging first/second baseman who has the joyful spirit of a class clown; defensive wizard Sosuke Genda, who played through a broken finger in ‘23; outfielder Kensuke Kondoh, a 5-foot-8 sparkplug who slashed an impressive .346/.500/.615 in the previous tourney; veteran utility fielder Taisei Makihara and the speedy Ukyo Shuto, who once stole a base in 13 consecutive NPB games.

Manager Hirokazu Ibata will also be calling upon veteran catchers Kenya Wakatsuki and Seishiro Sakamoto, reliever Yuki Matsumoto (1.07 ERA in ‘25) and promising young sluggers Shota Morishita (23 HR, .813 OPS) and Teruaki Sato, who smashed 40 home runs and drove in 102 runs last year. All five of them will be making their Classic debut in hopes of helping Japan repeat as champions.