TOKYO (Kyodo) — Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata will likely be asked to stay on through the sixth World Baseball Classic in 2026, a source with knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
The 49-year-old Ibata was appointed last October without any managing experience and only two years of fulltime coaching under his belt. He was originally signed to manage only through this year’s Premier12 in November.
According to the source, Samurai Japan’s development committee has decided to sound out Ibata about staying on. Japan went 4-0 to win November’s Asia Professional Baseball Championship and won both games against a European select team this past March.
Japan, in search of its second straight WBC championship and its fourth overall, is expected to field a strong team in 2026, bolstered by top Major League Baseball talent, including two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Baseball: Samurai Japan hopes to keep manager Ibata on for 2026 WBC
