Japan vs Chinese Taipei Preview & Prediction | 2026 World Baseball Classic | Pool Stage

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Shohei Ohtani’s Japan get the defence of their World Baseball Classic title underway in front of an adoring crowd at the Tokyo Dome, with Chinese Taipei their Pool C opponents.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / USA – Fox Sports

How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / USA – FOX One

Japan vs Chinese Taipei prediction

There is so much anticipation when it comes to Samurai Japan, the reigning WBC champions who took down the USA in 2023 in a thrilling contest which saw Shohei Ohtani strike out Mike Trout to claim the gold. Although Ohtani may not pitch in this tournament, the best baseball player in the world will no doubt play a huge role with his bat, not to mention the base stealing abilities and leadership skills of the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar.

But Japan are about more than just Ohtani, they boast Chicago Cubs batter Seiya Suzuki and newly signed Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami along with 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the pitching side. Whilst those are all examples of players to have successfully transitioned to MLB, there are plenty of Nippon Professional Baseball stars on the roster as well.

For Chinese Taipei, coming away from this contest having at least not been too heavily beaten and with positives to take from their performance would be seen as a good outcome. This Japanese team are a true juggernaut and the defending champions should start with a big win.

Japan vs Chinese Taipei tip: Japan to win with -4 run handicap