Japan's national baseball team, Samurai Japan, is preparing for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) opening on March 5. In a strategic move, head coach Hirokazu Ibata revealed the batting order ahead of a practice match against Orix at Kyocera Dome Osaka. Superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is now with the Dodgers, is set to start as the designated hitter batting second in the lineup, which marks a shift from his usual first position in previous tournaments. Kensuke Kondo, from the SoftBank Hawks, will bat first, a position he also held during the warm-up games in February.

This positioning reflects a tactical decision by the coaching staff, focusing on Kondo's high on-base percentage to set the stage for Ohtani's powerful hitting. In the previous WBC in 2023, Ohtani was positioned third, following Kondo. The strategy here suggests that with Kondo on base efficiently, the intent is to maximize Ohtani's opportunities to drive in runs when he steps up to the plate. This lineup aims to enhance Japan's offensive capabilities as they prepare to compete against top teams globally in the tournament.