Shohei Ohtani Will Play For Japan In 2026 World Baseball Classic

Shohei Ohtani wants some more hardware for his house.

Ohtani made his intentions known on Monday that he's going to pitch again for Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

It's not too surprising to see Ohtani want to take part in the baseball tournament, which features pro baseball teams playing in different stadiums.

Ohtani, of course, has been an integral part of the Dodgers' back-to-back World Series championships. He's proven time and again that he is worth his $700 million contract that he signed with Los Angeles after playing for the Los Angeles Angels.

He's going to play for Samurai Japan.

In an Instagram post on his official account, Ohtani wrote in Japanese, "Happy to play and represent Japan again."

Now, the question is whether Ohtani will or will not pitch for Samurai Japan. He just started pitching again last June after his second major elbow surgery in September 2023 ended his season.

But Ohtani wants to pitch. He's even looking at doing it for the entire 2026 MLB season. Ohtani said as much in a recent interview through his interpreter.

"I do plan on being able to pitch off the mound from the beginning of the season," Ohtani said. "The biggest thing is to be able to stay healthy throughout the season and hopefully be able to start and end the season on the mound."

Ohtani also is reveling in another National League Most Valuable Player award, his fourth MVP award in his illustrious MLB career. He is a back-to-back MVP winner in 2024 and 2025. Ohtani also won another NL MVP honor and captured the American League MVP title once as an Angel.

Last season, Ohtani hit 55 home runs as a designated hitter and pitcher.

For Ohtani, the sky is the limit and he is looking forward to representing his home country once again.