WBC 2023: Is Team Japan the best ever to take part in the tournament?

With the World Baseball Classic set to begin this March, Team Japan will be looking to add to their all-time gold medal count. The WBC, which began in 2006, has only taken place four times, with Team Japan winning the tournament twice. Only the United States and the Dominican Republic have been the other teams to have won the tournament.

"#TBT to when Yu Darvish closed out the 2009 World Baseball Classic as Japan won back-to-back titles." - World Baseball Classic

Heading into the 2023 iteration of the World Baseball Classic, Japan will field arguably the strongest team in the history of the international tournament. The team will be headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, arguably the biggest baseball star in the world.

Aside from Ohtani, the team will also feature the likes of MLB stars Yu Darvish, Seiya Suzuki and Lars Nootbar, as well as recent New York Mets signing Kodai Senga.

Japan will also feature some of the best players in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball Organization). Twenty-year-old pitching phenom Roki Sasaki will play a pivotal role for Team Japan this year. Sasaki finished his 2022 season with a 2.02 ERA and an absurd 0.796 WHIP through 129.1 innings, while also recording 173 strikeouts.

"I’m so unbelievably excited to see Roki Sasaki in the WBC (and a staff with Ohtani/Darvish/Sasaki is FILTHY)" - Javik Blake

Another Japanese superstar who may not be known by the average MLB fan is Munetaka Murakami, who will also be playing for Japan this year. Murakami might be the best player in the world who is not in the MLB. The 22-year-old slugger dominated the NPB last season, hitting a new league-record 56 home runs with 134 RBIs, while also maintaining a .318 batting average.

Munetaka Murakami became the youngest player in league history to win the Triple Crown, while also becoming the first unanimous Central League MVP since Masahiro Tanka in 2013. Murakami's addition to Team Japan will certainly help make the team one of the favorites to win the tournament.

"22-year-old third baseman Munetaka Murakami became the first Japanese-born player to hit 50 home runs in a professional season since Hideki Matsui in 2002" - Talkin' Baseball

A look at Team Japan's 2009 championship roster

In 2009, Japan won the World Baseball Classic, becoming the first and only team in the tournament's history to win back-to-back championships. Japan defeated South Korea 5-3 at Dodger Stadium, winning in the 10th inning. Yu Darvish entered the game after Japan took the lead, making quick work of the South Koreans and securing the title for Japan.

Former Boston Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was named the tournament MVP after going 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. The team also featured Japanese legends Ichiro Suzuki and Masahiro Tanaka.