Shohei Ohtani is a back-to-back World Series champion. Now he seeks to become a back-to-back World Baseball Classic champ, too.

Ohtani committed to play for Team Japan in the 2026 WBC, where he hopes to help defend Japan’s 2023 title in the international tournament.

“Happy to play and represent Japan again,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese on Instagram .

Ohtani was the MVP of the 2023 WBC, where he batted .435 with a home run, eight RBI and a 1.345 OPS and pitched to a 1.86 ERA over three appearances, including two starts.

In an instant-classic showdown , Ohtani struck out Team USA’s Mike Trout, then a teammate with the Los Angeles Angels, for the final out of the 2023 championship game.

This week’s announcement continues a red-hot run for Ohtani, who is the two-time defending National

See Full Page