Shohei Ohtani: "Looking forward for the opportunity...to play in front of the Japanese fans for the first time in over 5 years"

The World Baseball Classic would not have been the same without Shohei Ohtani. The two-way sensation is an international superstar and a global name. He is the reigning American League MVP and adds skill and talent to a tournament already littered with stars.

It is now official that Shohei Ohtani will join team Japan at the World Baseball Classic next year. Ohtani announced the news on his Instagram page to the joy of baseball fans around the world:

"Looking forward for the opportunity to face the best players around the world and to be able to play in front of the Japanese fans for the first time in over 5 years."

The 2023 World Baseball Classic will be jointly hosted by the USA, Japan and Taiwan and will begin in March. It will be the fifth ever tournament and the first time the tournament will take place in an expanded 20-team format.

"Shohei Ohtani announces his plans to play for Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic" - B/R Walk-Off

The addition of Shohei Ohtani will make the Japanese team real contenders for next year's tournament. They have a long list of MLB stars that are expected to attend the event.

The LA Angels ace will round out a talented pitching core that would scare any team. Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres and Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays could both join Ohtani in the tournament. The young 21-year-old pitching sensation for the Chiba Lotte Marines, Roki Sasaki, is also expected to make an appearance.

2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani announced that he will be joining team Japan at the World Baseball Classic

Shohei Ohtani pitches against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Ohtani was the shining light for an Angels franchise that suffered another frustrating season. Although the club missed out on the playoffs for the eighth year in a row, Ohtani had an exceptional year.

The 28-year old from Oshu, Japan, finished the year with a .273/.356/.519 slash line and contributed 34 home runs and 95 RBIs.

"Shohei Ohtani officially announces on Instagram that he will be playing for team Japan in the World Baseball Classic!!" - Ben Verlander

On the mound, Ohtani was no slouch either. For the first time in his career, he finished with double digit wins. Overall, Ohtani had a 15-9 record and a stingy 2.33 ERA after 28 starts.

Fans around the world are ecstatic to hear the news about Ohtani. He is a player who is loved by his coaches, peers and fans. Japanese fans will be overjoyed to see Ohtani return to the motherland after a long five-year absence. With the addition of Ohtani, team Japan could surprise a few people in 2023.