Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata announced he will step down from his position after the World Baseball Classic. Japan was eliminated from the WBC on Saturday with an 8-5 loss to Venezuela in the tournament quarterfinals. Samurai Japan built a 5-2 lead after three innings, powered by home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Shota Morishita.

Shohei Ohtani and reigning champ Japan faced Venezuela team in WBC quarterfinals. Check out the highlights.

Few people on this planet can hit the ball as hard or as far as Munetaka Murakami. The Samurai Japan slugger, who inked a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox earlier this offseason, proved t

Garcia’s two-run smack trimmed the lead to one, and that lead evaporated altogether an inning later. With two runners on and nobody down, Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu delivered the swing of the tournament thus far. Again, a Japanese reliever failed to elevate a heater and was punished for it.

MLB controversially handed local broadcast rights to the 2026 World Baseball Classic to Japan in a move that has slowed growth of the tournament in the baseball-crazed nation

Shohei Ohtani and reigning champ Japan face Venezuela team in WBC quarterfinals. Follow for updates.

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto has committed to staying with Japan’s national team for the remainder of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, enhancing Samurai Japan’s pitching depth as they advance to the quarterfinals.

SportsLine expert Angelo "Amags" Magliocca analyzes Saturday's Puerto Rico vs. Italy quarterfinal at the World Baseball Classic and offers his best bets