Baseball Podcaster confirms Manager Kuriyama has officially selected Shohei Ohtani to be Samurai Japan’s Game 1 starter vs China

Fans of Shohei Ohtani will not have to wait much longer to see their beloved "Shotime" in action. The 2021 American League MVP is set to start against China at the Tokyo Dome on Thursday.

There were initially doubts as to whether Ohtani would play both ways at the tournament. The Japanese sensation is one of the only MLB players that can pitch and hit at a high level. Team Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama plans to maximize his potential at the tournament.

According to baseball podcaster Shawn Spradling, Shohei Ohtani is set to start for Team Japan in their opening game:

"Manager Kuriyama has officially selected Shohei Ohtani to be Samurai Japan’s game 1 starter vs China"

The move was expected by manager Kuriyama, who previously worked with Ohtani in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) League. The veteran manager helped develop Ohtani's game between 2013-2017 with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

🇯🇵WBC NEWS - JAPAN🇯🇵

Manager Kuriyama has officially selected Shohei Ohtani to be Samurai Japan’s game 1 starter vs China in the World Baseball Classic. https://t.co/YezsrnqyGC

"WBC NEWS - JAPAN Manager Kuriyama has officially selected Shohei Ohtani to be Samurai Japan’s game 1 starter vs China in the World Baseball Classic." - Shawn Spradling

Ohtani's value to the team is hard to quantify. He is a rarity. No player dominates on the offensive and defensive side the way he does. In Ohtani, you are essentially getting two players for the price of one.

During his 2021 MVP-winning season, Ohtani finished with a 9-2 record and an exceptional 3.18 ERA. That year, he also recorded 46 home runs and 100 RBIs.

For those that questioned his consistency, Ohtani followed up 2021 with another outstanding season. He battled New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the final stages of the race for AL MVP, but fell just short.

The two-way sensation amassed 34 home runs and 95 RBIs. He finished with double-digits in the wins column for the first time (15-9) while recording a 2.33 ERA.

Shohei Ohtani will look to lead Team Japan to a record third World Baseball Classic championship

The Japanese team will enter the tournament as one of the favorites to win it all. The fact that they are joint hosts of the tournament (along with Taiwan and the United States) will only improve their chances.

The Sho has already started.

Shohei Ohtani rips TWO home runs in #WorldBaseballClassic exhibition action. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/fkS6KWtyZA

"The Sho has already started. Shohei Ohtani rips TWO home runs in #WorldBaseballClassic exhibition action." - MLB

MLB stars such as Yu Darvish, Masataka Yoshida and Lars Nootbar will also represent Team Japan in the fifth edition of the tournament.

Team Japan has never failed to finish outside the top three at the World Baseball Classic. They are the only team to have multiple titles after winning the prestigious tournament in 2006, and repeating the feat in 2009.

With Ohtani leading the charge, expect Japan to be one of the last teams standing at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.