*This content was translated by AI.
The atmosphere of the Japanese national baseball team is unusual ahead of the first game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at 7 p.m. on the 6th. With the team's core powers Shohei Ohtani (32) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (28, LA Dodgers) separated from the main camp and began separate secret training, Japanese national team coach Hirokazu Ibata (51) strengthened his will to win ahead of the match against Taiwan at 7 p.m. on the 6th.
The Japanese national team created a tense atmosphere in an official training session held somewhere in Tokyo a day before the match against Taiwan. In particular, Ohtani, the core of the team's power, and Yamamoto, the "starting pitcher against Taiwan," were not captured at the scene, drawing attention from reporters.
According to the WBC Organizing Committee, Itaba officially confirmed in an official press conference that Otani and Yamamoto were not accompanied by the team's training, saying, "The two players are training separately today." It is interpreted as a "choice and concentration" to adjust conditions ahead of the Major League season and to create the best condition in preparation for the important match against Taiwan. According to multiple U.S. media, including The Athletic, Yamamoto will play three innings against Taiwan.
In particular, Japan focused on maximizing its power by conducting closed training. In response, Ibata said, "There are players who have been together since the (Miyazaki) camp, but there are players who have joined just before the tournament," adding, "It was essential to check detailed plays and common perceptions among the players, including pitching staff."
Taiwan, Japan's first opponent in the tournament, suffered a 0-3 defeat to Australia on the 5th and is in a state of being hit by multiple losses. However, Japan was also negligent. "Regardless of the outcome of (Taiwan's) game, what we have to do does not change," Ibata said with a firm attitude. Ibata then said, *There is not a single game in the baseball world that can be lost. This will be the same for Taiwan. We just hit it with all our might," he stressed, signaling an all-out war.
Baseball fans around the world are paying attention to Tokyo Dome to see how Japan, which managed the "special Joker" Ohtani and Yamamoto, will perform against Taiwan, which is on the edge of the cliff.
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*This content was translated by AI.
