Masataka Yoshida Named Final Samurai Japan Selection for March World Baseball Classic as 30-Man Roster Is Completed

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:11 JST, February 5, 2026

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida was named Wednesday to fill the last remaining spot on Japan’s team for next month’s World Baseball Classic.

Yoshida, a member of the squad that won the previous edition of the tournament in 2023, joins a 30-man roster that includes a number of fellow major leaguers, headed by World Series-winning two-way star Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I want to savor the pleasure of competing alongside the best team, staff and players, and I will fulfill my role to help Samurai Japan achieve victory,” Yoshida said, referring to the team’s nickname.

At the 2023 WBC, Yoshida set a tournament record with 13 RBIs as Japan went on to defeat the United States in a dramatic final.

Yoshida was limited to just 55 games in 2025 after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason. He batted .266 with four home runs and 26 RBIs.

The team will report Feb. 14 for a training camp in Miyazaki. Japan will begin play on March 6 as host of Pool C of the preliminary round, with all of its games at Tokyo Dome. The rest of the group includes Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic and Taiwan.