Reporter Seo Jang-won = The Japanese national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) is considered a strong candidate for the championship. Five active major leaguers boarded the ship, and a large number of players representing Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) also joined, and it is evaluated that it has the best power ever.
In the midst of this, the past remarks of Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Angels), the best superstar in Japanese baseball, have recently become a hot topic.
On the 23rd (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of the Major League Baseball (MLB), reported a conversation between Shohei Ohtani and fellow Angels teammate Mike Trout, who are participating in the WBC.
According to the media, the two had been talking about the WBC since last season, and Ohtani surprised Trout by saying, “I don’t think I’m the best player on the national team.”
Ohtani is the best star player in name and reality, writing a success story as a pitcher after advancing to the MLB and even winning the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP). It was an interesting remark to say that such Ohtani is going to make a move in the national team. Of course, there is also the humility to respect his colleagues.
MLB.com said, “There is a better player than Ohtani in the Japanese national team? What kind of player was Ohtani talking about?”
The media picked a total of five players, Munetaka Murakami (Yakult Swallows), Rocky Sasaki (Chiba Lotte Marines), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes), Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), and Hiroto Takahashi (Juneage Dragons). mentioned
Murakami, who was mentioned first, was the best hitter in NPB last season. He recorded 56 home runs, a Japanese player who set a new record for most home runs in a single season and was named MVP.
The media said, “Murakami, who is called Japan’s (Aaron) Judge, just turned 23 and is Japan’s best hitter. He hit .318 with 56 home runs and 143 RBIs last year, becoming the youngest player to win the NPB Triple Crown and unanimously won MVP honors. “he explained. 메이저사이트
“This WBC will be a showcase of how Murakami compares to MLB’s elite hitters,” he added.
Regarding Sasaki, the youngest person ever to have a perfect game, he said, “On April 10 last year, he played a perfect game with 19 strikeouts against Orix. No player in Japan or the United States has ever struck out so many batters in a perfect game. A splitter as demanding as Ohtani. and recorded the highest speed of 102 mph. Ohtani is a pitcher with talent that can be surpassed.”
Regarding Yamamoto, he introduced, “In the past two seasons, he dominated the league like Jacob deGrom, and won the Pacific League MVP for two consecutive seasons. We can meet in MLB next year at the earliest, and we will use this WBC as a stepping stone to advance to the big leagues.” .
Yoshida, who transferred to the Boston Red Sox after being named ‘NPB’s best contact king’, said, “After Murakami, he is one of the strongest hitters in Japan.” He recorded an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) and hit an average of 22 homers per year.”
Lastly, regarding Takahashi, “He is the youngest pitcher selected for Samurai Japan (nickname for the Japanese national team) and has the potential to become a breakthrough star through this tournament. Takahashi, who is refining his pitching mechanics with Yamamoto ahead of the WBC, has a new secret weapon at the WBC. It may be disclosed,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the first round of the WBC finals, Japan will face Korea, the Czech Republic, and Australia in turn, starting with China on March 9.