This, folks, is the good stuff.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic has produced a series of thrilling games, none more captivating than Monday night’s sensational semifinal between Mexico and Japan, a contest that ended on a walk-off two-RBI double by Munetaka Murakami.
And immediately after the game, Fox reporter Ken Rosenthal asked Japan superstar Shohei Ohtani — he’d started the ninth-inning rally with a leadoff double — on live TV the question everyone wanted to hear answered: Will he be available to pitch in the championship game vs. the USA?
“I’ll definitely be prepared to pitch whenever,” Ohtani said, as relayed by his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, “but before that I’ll going to have to hit so I’ll make sure I put some runs on the board before I get to pitch.”
Oh, hell yeah.
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The dream scenario is alive and well. What’s that dream? Oh, no biggie, just the possibility of watching the two Angels teammate superstars face off on a global stage — Ohtani on the mound and Mike Trout stepping to the plate for Team USA with the game on the line.
It doesn’t get any juicier than that. Trout was the first player to commit to Team USA, way back last summer, and even though Othani didn’t announce officially that he was playing for Team Japan until after the MLB season, he was planning to be part of the WBC. And, yeah, the two teammates discussed the possibility of facing each other.
“We talked about it during the year last year, because I knew he was going to do it,” Trout told reporters on a Zoom call on Jan. 20. “I get a front-row seat every time he pitches when he's with us. It's pretty nasty. Every person I talk to that faces him says they don't want to be in the box. It's going to be interesting. I'm looking forward to it. He's one of my good friends, so it's going to be fun. We're going to be competing with a lot of teammates and a lot of people you play against.”
It was an exciting possibility then. Now, with the teams set to meet in the championship game, with so much on the line? We’ve reached almost unhealthy levels of anticipation.
Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout: How it could happen in the WBC final
The way to guarantee an Ohtani-vs-Trout showdown would be for Japan to have Ohtani start the game. Trout’s been in the No. 2 spot in the lineup for the U.S. every game of the WBC. But that’s not happening. Instead, lefty Shota Imanaga will start the game for Japan.
Yu Darvish figures to see a lot of action, too.
Ohtani would likely only be used in an eighth- or ninth-inning situation to start an inning instead of entering with an out or two, and not if the game is a blowout in either direction. The logistics of getting ready to pitch would be fascinating to see play out, considering he will be in the lineup as Japan’s designated hitter.
Let’s say he bats in the seventh inning, and the game is close. He’d probably immediately head to the indoor batting cages near the clubhouse to warm up his arm, because jogging out to the bullpen in the outfield would be problematic, logistically. It’s worth noting that he’s never pitched in relief in his MLB career.
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In the postgame interview room, Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama was asked about the potential of Ohtani pitching, and he said multiple times that he’d have to talk with Ohtani on Tuesday, but that it was “not a zero chance.”
Then you hear Ohtani talk, and you realize there is a “zero chance” scenario in play for the title game: Zero chance he’s going to let anyone keep him off that mound to face that USA lineup if the game’s on the line.
“Not only Mike Trout, but one through nine in that order is filled with superstars and household names,” Ohtani said, again via interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, after the game. “I’m just excited to face that lineup, and it’s a great thing for Japanese baseball.”
UPDATE:
Mike Trout’s next at-bat could come against Shohei Ohtani in the 9th inning. Seriously. If you check your scorecard, that’s how it’s lining up. 👀 @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 22, 2023
Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout by the numbers
They’re both superstars, in every sense of the word. Trout has three MVP awards and four more runner-up finishes. Ohtani has an MVP award and one second-place finish, and he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young race last year, too. Not that it really matters at this point in their superstardom, but both won the AL Rookie of the Year award, too.
Trout played only 119 games in 2022, but he still hit 40 homers, with a 178 OPS+ and a 6.3 bWAR. Ohtani the DH hit 34 home runs, with a 145 OPS+, and Ohtani the pitcher posted a 2.33 ERA, with an AL-best 11.9 K/9 and 6.2 bWAR.
Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout by the WBC numbers
Ohtani has mashed the ball the entire tournament. He’s 9-for-20 with four doubles, eight RBIs, nine runs scored, one home run, a .621 on-base percentage and a 1.421 OPS.
On the mound, Ohtani made two starts. In those 8 2/3 innings, he struck out 10, gave up five hits and one walk, with a 2.08 ERA.
Trout has nine strikeouts in the six games, which gets a lot of attention, but overall he’s 7-for-22 (.318 average), with one double, one triple, one home run, seven RBIs, a .444 on-base percentage and 1.035 OPS.
