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Major League Baseball’s two biggest stars are confirmed to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a key initiative for this offseason.
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, the two-time reigning National League Most Valuable Player and by most accounts the sport’s top talent, said he will play for Japan in the upcoming WBC, with that squad looking to defend its tournament title from 2023. Ohtani’s WBC participation wasn’t necessarily in doubt, as he was a key fixture in that prior event, including striking out Angels star Mike Trout, playing for Team USA, to close out the championship game.
The return engagement, however, solidifies a massive dose of star power for the international competition, set for March 5–17. Ohtani will join Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, also a two-time reigning MVP in the American League. Last spring, Judge confirmed his WBC appearance, which will be his first, and he will captain the U.S. team.
“I’m happy to play again representing Japan,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese in a Monday social media post.
Ohtani, whose two-way talents are a core part of his stardom, did not specify whether he will pitch in the WBC. Often, pitchers who pitch extensively in the postseason, as Ohtani did, will skip a WBC happening just a few months later. The tournament, however, is a major priority for MLB and the MLB Players Association, and a deep source of national pride in Japan. Even if Ohtani doesn’t pitch again in the WBC, he will still be a core part of the Japanese team’s lineup.
In addition to Ohtani and Judge, other top MLB talents set to play in the WBC include Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, this year’s NL Cy Young Award winner, as well as Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Royals catcher Salvador Perez.
The WBC also comes during a fast-rising tide of international interest for MLB. The recent World Series, won by the Dodgers, generated massive viewership in Japan and Canada. The presence of Ohtani on the Japanese team, meanwhile, will likely boost viewership of WBC games there, which will be shown on Netflix. Fox, meanwhile, holds the U.S. media rights to the 2026 tournament.
