Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata stepping down after WBC flop

Japan first baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) fist pumps designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (16) during player introductions before a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic against Venezuela at loanDepot Park. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata stepping down after World Baseball Classic flop

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 15, 2026 3:24 PM ET

It didn't take long for Team Japan to make changes after failing to defend its World Baseball Classic title.

Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata confirmed he's stepping down after losing 8-5 to Venezuela in the WBC quarterfinals on Saturday night at loanDepot Park in Miami.

"Results are everything," Ibata said of his decision to quit on Sunday at the team hotel (h/t Yahoo Sports' Ian Casselberry).

Hirokazu Ibata stepping down may be right choice for Team Japan

Ibata replaced former Team Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama, who retired following the 2023 WBC. His inexperience proved costly in the quarterfinal matchup on Saturday.

After Japan took a 5-2 lead, he pulled starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers) for soft-throwing left-handed relief pitcher Chihiro Sumida in the top of the fifth inning, a questionable choice. Venezuela's next three batters were right-handers, giving it an advantage. Right-handed batters tend to hit the ball easier against soft-tossing left-handers because of favorable ball trajectory.

Considering that, it's not stunning Sumida quickly allowed a two-run home run off third baseman Maikel Garcia (Kansas City Royals), allowing Venezuela to make the game a contest again.

TWO-RUN HOMER FOR MAIKEL GARCIA AND IT'S A ONE RUN GAME!

: FOX pic.twitter.com/B3h6O9P0RV
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 15, 2026

From there, things continued to snowball for Japan. Team Venezuela outfielder Wilyer Abreu (Boston Red Sox) crushed a three-run homer off Hiromi Itoh in the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Team Venezuela shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (Colorado Rockies) scored off a throwing error.

WILYER ABREU
THREE-RUN HOME RUN
TEAM VENEZUELA TAKES THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/9ovv3fluF6
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 15, 2026

The ball is thrown into centerfield and it's now 8-5 Venezuela!

: FOX pic.twitter.com/F9BZmW1hP9
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 15, 2026

"It was the kind of game where we had chances to win," Japanese designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani — who homered in the bottom of the first — said postgame, via USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "It wasn't like we were completely overwhelmed from start to finish. I think there were definitely moments where we had opportunities to win. ...We showed what we do well, but in the end, they overpowered us."

To cut Ibata slack, he was without some of Japan's top pitchers on Saturday, including Roki Sasaki (Dodgers), who opted not to play in the 2026 WBC. Ohtani, meanwhile, only hit in the tournament to protect his arm for the upcoming MLB season.

But Japan, a baseball powerhouse, expects more. The 2026 WBC marks the first time the country has failed to reach the semifinals since the event's inception in 2006.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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