GLENDALE, Arizona - Japan's two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani backed the introduction of the pitch clock in Nippon Professional Baseball on Wednesday after the system was used for the first time at the recent World Baseball Classic.
Samurai Japan was beaten 8-5 in the quarterfinals of the WBC by eventual champion Venezuela in Miami on Saturday, with the 2006, 2009 and 2023 winner failing to reach the tournament's semifinal for the first time in its six editions.
"If we want to win on the world stage, of course it should be introduced," Ohtani said following his spring pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers after his NPB-based Japan teammates called for the pitch clock introduction following the WBC.
He backed the move also as a fan of the game, but added, "The change might not be needed if the idea is to stick to the way we want to play baseball."
Back-to-back world champion with the Dodgers, Ohtani regards "the WBC just as big as the World Series" after his second participation at the tournament and believes the Japan camp can make better use of data in the future.
"I sensed it wasn't being used on a daily basis. I felt a gap," Ohtani said as he compared how data are used in MLB. "I assume we will catch up."
The 31-year-old also had his say on online abuse targeting players after Japan's WBC exit, pointing out that offensive remarks that "deny players' characters have nothing to do with baseball, and aren't good."
"I personally do not care...but that's not the case with everyone," he said. "I will not change my stance of treating people with care wherever I am."
On the mound in Glendale, Arizona, the four-time MVP winner struck out four while allowing a hit over 4-1/3 shutout innings against the San Francisco Giants.
Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said the same day that Roki Sasaki will join his compatriots Ohtani, as well as Opening Day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in their starting pitching rotation despite his inconsistent spring form.
