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Drake Maye and Wife Ann’s Shohei Ohtani Support at World Baseball Classic Sparks Buzz

Shohei Ohtani getting support from Drake and Ann Michael Maye is raising eyebrows among American baseball fans.
Grant Young|
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles DodgersNew England PatriotsBoston Red Sox

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is underway, a great way for baseball fans to get excited about the upcoming season.

Of course, 29 MLB teams will be targeting the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2026 campaign, as Los Angeles is coming off two consecutive World Series championships and is seen as a strong favorite to three-peat this year.

Los Angeles Dodgers players Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Los Angeles Dodgers players Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Dodgers probably would not have won a World Series last season if not for global superstar Shohei Ohtani, who was their anchor both on the mound and at the plate.

Ohtani is the biggest star in baseball and is one of the most recognizable figures in all of sports. His recent success isn't limited to MLB, as he also won the 2023 World Baseball Classic playing for Team Japan.

Japan designated hitter Shohei Ohtani
Japan designated hitter Shohei Ohtani | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Ohtani faced Mike Trout, his former teammate with the Los Angeles Angels, with 2 outs in the ninth inning of the 2023 World Baseball Classic final, Team Japan vs. Team USA.

Ohtani ultimately struck out Trout, which resulted in Japan winning 3-2 and capturing the WBC title. Therefore, Team USA is hungry for revenge, and most of the United States' fan base will be rooting against Ohtani and Team Japan during this year's WBC.

Drake Maye and Wife Ann Michael Show Shohei Ohtani Support at the World Baseball Classic

However, it appears that at least two Americans are happy to show Team Japan their support. These two would be New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and his wife, Ann Michael.

These two are currently on vacation in Japan. And on March 7, a photo of them at Japan's first World Baseball Classic game at the Tokyo Dome was posted by the @MLB X account.

"New England royalty at the #WorldBaseballClassic

"Patriots QB Drake 'Drake Maye' Maye and Ann Michael Maye in the Tokyo Dome for Team Korea vs. Team Japan!" the post was captioned.

The X post has gone viral, tallying over 480,000 views in seven hours.

Drake Maye can be seen wearing a Dodgers jersey in the photo. This is raising eyebrows among Patriots fans, as they would have preferred to see Maye wearing a Red Sox jersey (which his wife was doing earlier in the Japan trip).

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Ultimately, it's hard to blame Drake Maye for wanting to support Ohtani, given that he's one of the most likable stars in all of sports.

That being said, USA fans are surely hoping that Maye will support his home country if they play Team Japan at some point in this year's WBC.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the Athlete Lifestyle, Women’s Basketball, the New York Mets, the Baltimore Orioles, the Chicago Cubs, and boxing for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years.

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