The Japanese baseball team announced some of the roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels) was also included. Ohtani revealed his wariness toward Korea by revealing his feelings.

According to Japanese media outlets such as Sponichi, coach Hideki Kuriyama of the Japanese national team held a press conference on the 6th and announced the first 12 players of the national team to participate in the WBC. In the big leagues, Ohtani, Yu Darvish (San Diego), and Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs) were named.

In Japanese professional baseball, Roki Sasaki 토토사이트 (Chiba Lotte), the youngest player with the perfect game, Murakami Munetaka (Yakult), who hit 56 homers last year, the most in Japan, was included, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix), Shota Imanaga (Yokohama), and Shosei Dogo. (Yomiuri), Takuya Gai (Softbank), Sosuke Genda (Seibu), Shugo Maki (Yokohama), and Kensuke Kondo (Softbank).

After the announcement, Ohtani said, “The only goal is to win. “I’m only thinking about winning,” he said. Japan stood at the top in the first tournament in 2006 and the second in 2009. In 2013, the 3rd competition, and 2017, the 4th competition, both were ranked 3rd. They are determined to stand at the top again after 14 years.

First of all, you have to pass the first round in Japan. And in the same group, there is Korea, the ‘rival of destiny’. Korea also gathered the best members to restore its honor. Ohtani said, “I watched the WBC when I was a student. The Korean War left an impression on me. There are many great players in Korea. There are many good hitters and pitchers not only in Asia but also globally.”

“It is a country where top-level players who can fight in the world in any generation come out. Korea always plays great baseball,” he added, wary of Korea. Director Kuriyama also said, “Korea has power. Demonstrates strength in critical situations. I am feeling desperate. I can’t help but be afraid,” he said.

When it comes to objective power, Japan ranks first. The status of Japanese professional baseball is higher than that of the KBO League. However, the ‘Korea-Japan War’ was always fierce. Korea has cheered after defeating Japan several times. Japan knows too. So there is no carelessness. They are wary of Korea to the extent that it is close to ‘Um-sal’.