Following South Korea's crushing defeat to "all-star caliber" Dominican Republic, Japan—a tournament favorite—has also been eliminated, meaning no Asian teams will appear in this year's World Baseball Classic (WBC) semifinals.
Japan lost 5-8 to Venezuela in the quarterfinals held at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 14 (local time).
The 2023 defending champions were knocked out in the quarterfinals for the first time in tournament history. Fans will no longer see superstar Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) in action. The two-way player was barred from pitching in this tournament due to conditions set by the Dodgers. Japanese fans lament that the outcome might have been different had Ohtani taken the mound.
Ohtani hit a leadoff game-tying home run in the first inning but grounded out as the final batter in the ninth. He finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. According to Japanese media, Ohtani said after the game: "I'm truly frustrated. In the end, I felt overpowered by their strength." He added: "The national team's journey will continue. The young players will grow stronger and come back."
The semifinals will now feature Italy vs. Venezuela and Dominican Republic vs. United States. Italy defeated Puerto Rico 8-6 to reach the semifinals for the first time in its history.
South Korean baseball, despite advancing to the second round for the first time in 17 years, faces heavy challenges after its 0-10 mercy-rule loss to the Dominican Republic in seven innings on March 14. The team lacked reliable pitchers—no starter lasted more than three innings across four first-round games. Fastball velocities were markedly inferior to competitors. Pitcher development is urgently needed. Concerns are mounting that discovering competitive domestic pitchers may become even harder with the introduction of Asian player quotas. Korea must now worry about qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While multiple qualification paths exist, Korea's roster strength suggests the team will need to go "all in" on the Olympic final qualifier expected in March 2028.