Shohei Ohtani stars in WBC, but should Dodgers worry about him?

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Japan's Shohei Ohtani stars in WBC, but should Dodgers worry about World Series MVP?

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Mar 6, 2026 11:12 AM ET

Japan's Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t disappoint Friday in the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo.

The superstar finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and drove in five in Japan's 13-0 win over Taiwan. In the second inning, the four-time Major League Baseball MVP blasted a grand slam and looked to be in midseason form.

Ohtani had one hit in three spring training at-bats before joining Japan in the WBC.

Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggles

Though Ohtani and Japan stole the show with the offensive eruption, teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled. In 2.2 innings against Taiwan, the 2025 World Series MVP for the Dodgers allowed three walks and struck out two on 53 pitches (33 strikes).

In two spring training starts, Yamamoto allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and struck out seven in 4.2 innings.

SHOHEI OHTANI GRAND SLAM! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC pic.twitter.com/z0BXjlYInF
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 6, 2026

Yamamoto, a two-time World Series champion, finished third in the Cy Young Award voting last season. He was a workhorse, pitching a career-high 173.1 innings (a jump from 90 the season before) and throwing 36.1 innings in the 2025 postseason.

In Game 6 and 7 of the 2025 World Series against Toronto, Yamamoto pitched on back-to-back days (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1), tallying 8.2 innings in two days.

Yamamoto’s heavy workload — and virtually no offseason before reporting to the Dodgers for spring training and then pitching for Japan in the World Baseball Classic — may be contributing to his struggles.

The bigger concern, however, could be his arm, something the Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts will be monitoring closely as the right-hander remains on a pitch limit.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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