Padres' Fernando Tatis Calls Out Team Japan Ahead of World Baseball Classic

San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. called out Team Japan ahead of the World Baseball Classic.

Tatis will represent the Dominican Republic alongside teammate Manny Machado and other MLB stars such as Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ketel Marte.

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He believes his squad will take down Team Japan, which boasts Los Angeles Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Samurai Japan enter the tournament as the reigning champions after taking down Team USA in the 2023 final.

Tatis praised Team Japan, but evoked confidence in his Dominican Republic squad.

“They’re nasty,” Tatis said of Japan. “But we’re gonna beat them.”

The two star-studded teams won't face each other in pool play, but a matchup is possible if both teams advance through the group stage. Team Dominican Republic could face Japan in the quarterfinals, semifinals or the championship game depending on how things play out.

Regardless, Samurai Japan is the team to beat given they currently own the WBC crown. It appears Tatis is prepared to take the reigning champs down this March, though.

Team Dominican Republic showed off its firepower in an exhibition game Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers, where they won by a score of 12-4. Tatis received a standing ovation from the crowd after his three-hit performance in the matchup.

Fernando Tatis Jr. received a standing ovation from the crowd after a 3-hit game tonight! pic.twitter.com/6gQcvKkPlb
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 4, 2026

The group will compete against Nicaragua, Netherlands, Israel and Venezuela in pool play with retired MLB slugger Albert Pujols as the manager of the Dominican Republic.

On MLB Network, Yonder Alonso praised the squad and likened them to other powerhouses in the tournament.

"When I look at this Dominican Republic team, they're just as good as Team USA, as the Japan roster," Alonso said. "For me, the question for the Dominican Republic is who's gonna start?"

While the Dominican Republic's lineup is strong, their starting pitching remains the X-factor for the team's success in the tournament.

When Does the World Baseball Classic Start?

The 2026 WBC begins Wednesday, March 4 at the Tokyo Dome. The first matchup of the tournament will be between Chinese Taipei and Australia.

The tournament runs through March 17, with pool play beginning in other locations on Thursday and Friday. The championship game will be played on March 17 at loanDepot park in Miami.

The Dominican Republic's first game of the tournament is on Friday, March 6 against Nicaragua.

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