The World Baseball Classic has already kicked off, and there’s no doubt that Shohei Ohtani is one of the stars to watch in this competition, where he could also become a back-to-back champion after Japan‘s title in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In addition, he could achieve a record that would be practically impossible for any other ballplayer.
In fact, no players like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, or any other MLB star could accomplish this feat in the 2026 World Baseball Classic if several factors align.
What record is Ohtani chasing in the World Baseball Classic?
In the early editions of the World Baseball Classic, we had the presence of a brilliant Japanese pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was named WBC MVP in 2006 and 2009, posting a 1.95 ERA across six starts and 27.2 innings pitched to help his team win those first two WBC titles.
Now, it would be Shohei Ohtani‘s turn to become such a decisive player. The two-way star won the World Baseball Classic MVP in 2023 when Japan claimed its third WBC title, and now he could become the second player to win two consecutive WBC MVP awards.
In other words, no other player in the 2026 World Baseball Classic could achieve it because they don’t meet these conditions. It’s a mark that would be unprecedented if Ohtani decides to play in one more edition and the scenario repeats itself.
We’ll see if Team Japan lives up to the hype and takes advantage of the generation of players on their roster-though it won’t be an easy task at all, given the strong teams assembled by Team USA and the Dominican Republic.
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