If you remember Shohei Ohtani’s run in the 2023 WBC, you already know how he basically won it for Japan, capping it off by striking out Team USA captain Mike Trout. And just for good measure, he hit .435 in the tournament, which was pretty much the cherry on top. And as if that wasn’t enough, Japan also unleashed Roki Sasaki, the “Monster of the Reiwa Era.”

Sasaki’s outing against the Czech Republic is still fresh with us: 3.2 innings, eight strikeouts, and just one unearned run allowed! Call it pure dominance.

So heading into the next WBC, it felt like Team USA was about to get a taste of the same nightmare the other 29 MLB teams face when they run into the Dodgers. But hold on because the Dodgers might’ve flipped the script, handing Team USA a couple of big points before the WBC even gets underway.

“Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC, adding that it was Ohtani’s decision,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez shared via X.

Yes, you heard it right. Ohtani will suit up for Team Japan in the WBC, but only as a DH. He won’t be taking the mound. We still call it a cautious decision!

After finally making his return to pitching midway through last season, the Dodgers handled him with care, slowly building him up and only later letting him go deeper into games. Ohtani himself has made it clear he’s in no rush. “In terms of the World Baseball Classic, I just have to see how my body feels, feel the progression, and see what happens,” he said. That indicates workload management comes first, especially with the Dodgers chasing a historic three-peat this year.

So from Team USA’s perspective, while they’ll still have to deal with Ohtani in the batter’s box, they won’t have to stare down his 100-mph heat. And the good news doesn’t stop there.

According to Japan’s announced WBC roster, Roki Sasaki won’t be joining his teammates this time around either. That wasn’t totally shocking, given his injury issues and dip in form during 2025. Remember how his velocity was down early in the season, and a right shoulder impingement sidelined him for three months before he returned in September?

Sasaki has since sounded locked in on a different goal. “Now I know the general flow of what everything is going to look like… I feel it’s going to be a very smooth spring training for me,” he said, hinting at his focus on surviving the 162-game MLB grind.

Hence, all of that means Team USA has, at least for now, avoided facing Japan’s two most terrifying arms. But make no mistake, because the challenge isn’t completely off the table just yet.

Team Japan has more to unleash beyond Ohtani’s and Sasaki’s arms

Ohtani and Sasaki may not be taking the mound, but let’s not act like Japan is short on firepower.

They still have Dodgers World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and honestly, he was even better than Sasaki in the 2023 WBC. A 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts says plenty. And if you remember his six innings of one-run ball in Game 6 of the World Series, you know Yamamoto is more than capable of going on a full-blown rampage against Team USA in a WBC setting.

Now add that to what Shohei Ohtani brings at the plate, and Japan looks loaded. Back in the 2023 WBC, Ohtani hit a ridiculous .435 and tied the single-tournament record with 10 walks.

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So even as a DH, he’s a nightmare matchup, and Team USA’s pitchers are going to have their hands full.

Sure, the U.S. can roll out the star power of its own. Names like Clayton Kershaw, Paul Skenes, and Aaron Judge make it clear they’re ready to go all guns blazing.

But even then, the reigning 2023 WBC champions are still very much a force to be reckoned with.