World No. 1 Samurai Japan took the field for its annual preseason exhibition series at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka this week. At this same time next year, the 2026 World Baseball Classic will be underway! Last year, Japan swept the All-Europe All-Stars with back-to-back shutouts, including a combined perfect game. This year, history nearly repeated itself against No. 7 ranked Kingdom of the Netherlands. Let’s find out how things went!
Overview
Manager Hirokazu Ibata constructed a well-balanced roster of established NPB stars, underrated contributors, and promising young prospects. With no carryovers from the 2024 Premier12, many players were getting their first taste of international competition in a long time, while others sought to make a strong impression and earn a spot on next year’s WBC roster. Ibata has consistently identified a diverse group of pitchers with high velocity and upside, making it a core component of his roster-building strategy.
The Netherlands assembled a team featuring solid players from its Caribbean territories, such as Curacao and Aruba, along with standout performers from the Dutch Major League. Standout names included Juremi Profar, brother of Jurickson Profar; former New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius; national team mainstay Tom de Blok; and Franklin van Gurp, who pitched for the Japanese minor league team Kufu Hayate Ventures last season.
Game 1: Japan 5, Netherlands 0
Game 1 saw a leadoff home run from national team debutant Shun Mizutani (Fighters), setting the tone early. Orix Buffaloes ace Hiroya Miyagi threw three perfect innings with four strikeouts in front of his home fans, while five more pitchers — Atsuya Horie (Carp), Yuki Hashimoto (Dragons), Tatsuya Imai (Lions), Daichii Ishii (Tigers), Hayato Tsunehiro (Carp) — combined to allow just one hit with 11 strikeouts in a dominant shutout.
The Dutch arms did well to keep things close for a while, but Japan’s offense broke through in the sixth inning as Akito Takabe (Marines) delivered a two-run single to make it 3-0. In the eighth, Seiya Hosokawa (Dragons) hit an RBI single, followed by a Takashi Umino (Hawks) RBI double to extend the lead to 5-0.
Game 2: Japan 9, Netherlands 0
In Game 2, Japan continued more of its overpowering pitching, taking a combined perfect game deep into the night. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Japan exploded for seven runs, capitalizing on defensive mistakes and a two-run blast from Hanshin Tigers star Yusuke Ohyama. Atsuki Taneichi (Marines) and Ryosuke Ohtsu (Hawks) got Japan off on the right foot with two flawless innings each. Then, Yukiya Saito (Fighters), Ryusei Kawano (Fighters), and Kazuki Sugiyama (Hawks) each threw an inning.
Japan added two more runs in the eighth to bring the lead to 9-0. In the bottom half, Orix Buffaloes southpaw Ryuhei Sotani entered as fans started to anticipate history being made, but Dayson Croes recorded a soft infield hit on a full count with two outs to end the perfecto-bid. In the end, Japan settled for another one-hit shutout.
Why It Matters
Japan suffered a disappointing loss against Chinese Taipei in the Gold Medal game of the 2024 Premier12, fielding a roster that was missing not only MLB players but also several of NPB’s top superstars. Last month, manager Ibata visited MLB spring training camps to meet with several Japanese stars, likely laying the groundwork for their recruitment to next year’s WBC roster.
Beyond the on-field results, the exhibition series served as a key evaluation period for Japan ahead of the WBC, where the Samurai look to defend their championship. Ibata, who took over as skipper following Hideki Kuriyama’s retirement, has now had several events to make his mark on the national team. As one of his final opportunities to get a close look at players before the WBC, this was a crucial stepping stone for Japan — one in which they looked undeniably impressive.
- NPB Standings
- Central League Hitting Leaders
- Central League Pitching Leaders
- Pacific League Hitting Leaders
- Pacific League Pitching Leaders
- Yakyu Cosmopolitan’s Website
