Team Japan held a press conference on Monday with an update regarding its roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, as it looks to repeat as champions after defeating Team USA in 2023. The team announced several players who have committed to play in the tournament, including Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
After missing the 2023 WBC, Seiya Suzuki will play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic
pic.twitter.com/Zyc7CL8tuy
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) January 26, 2026
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Suzuki missed the 2023 WBC due to an oblique injury, but he is healthy and available this time around. Team Japan honored Suzuki during the last tournament, even hanging his jersey in the dugout. When they won, the team brought his jersey onto the field so he could be part of the celebration.
Samurai Japan hung Seiya Suzuki and Ryoji Kuribayashi jerseys in their dugout in honor of their injured teammates.
Coincidently, both Hiroshima Carp. pic.twitter.com/UtKt7R1brt
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) March 17, 2023
Suzuki hit 32 home runs in 2025, the most in his career since moving to the United States. His 103 RBIs were the 11th most in the sport and tied for fourth in the National League with Christian Yelich. Suzuki remained healthy throughout the year, playing a career-high 151 games during the regular season.
He finished the regular season strong, hitting five home runs in the last four games. Suzuki carried that momentum into the playoffs, launching three longballs in the team’s eight postseason games.
Suzuki becomes the fifth Cub to announce his intent to play in the 2026 WBC, joining Pete Crow‑Armstrong (Team USA), Matthew Boyd (Team USA), Jameson Taillon (Team Canada), Alex Bregman (Team USA), and Daniel Palencia (Team Venezuela).
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