Japan Wins it All, but what does that mean?
After a long two weeks, the World Baseball Classic came to an end with Japan taking down the USA. It was an incredible ending. Every baseball fan dreamt of this match-up to be able to see Shohei Ohtani take on Mike Trout, it being a one-run game down to the final out. Ohtani came out firing a fastball clocking at 102 miles per hour, then getting trout with a slider which drops all the way down to 87 miles per hour, sweeping all the way to the outside of the plate. This match-up was what every MLB scriptwriter had in mind, two superstars of this time facing each other for the World Baseball Championship; even with the USA losing, it was an ending that will be talked about for decades to come.
Japan winning it all and so many stars being born with that team; what does this mean for baseball in japan? The USA and Japan championship game might be one of the most watched games in baseball history. In Japan alone, a nation of 125 million people, 62 million people watched as Japan defeated South Korea in a pool play match. Yes, you did read that right. Even before the elimination round started, Japan broke the World Series record by itself. There is a good chance that last night's game will break records.
Japan has already been so dominant in baseball but after winning it all I have a good feeling baseball will grow to a wider audience. Besides Ohtani being on a bigger stage so many superstars were brought to life.
Lars Nootbaar, an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, was the first non-Japan-born player ever to play for the Japanese national team. Both Shohei Ohtani and Lars Nootbaar combined for 17 hits and 12 RBIs during Japan's 2023 WBC title run. Nootbaar became a superstar overnight in Japan. He expressed in an interview how thankful he was for the Japan national team to be able to accept him to be able to play. Many stars were born, and the love for baseball has grown in Japan and all over the world. Being able to watch the WBC has brought new life to the game of baseball.