WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: QUARTERFINALS - ITALY VS JAPAN

March 14, 2023

Masataka Yoshida

Tokyo Dome

Team Japan

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Once again, congratulations to qualify in the first round. What's the team's condition as of your view?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Yes, we are four in a row, and the atmosphere is so high. Yesterday we had a great day off, and we're ready for the next game, the quarterfinal, against Italy, and we are trying to do our best.

Q. You just joined the spring training in Arizona and then flu back to Japan, and then after joining Team Japan, you got great numbers. What's the key to your success?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Yes, the result, I have a good at-bat and a bad at-bat but all I'm doing right now is trying to concentrate on every single pitch and every at-bat.

For the physical condition, mine is going -- doing better. So I'm trying to be prepared well and try to focus on each single game.

Q. In the past four games, you hardly ever played against China or the Czech players. How deep of a scouting report does Team Japan have?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: We do not have that much data but yeah, we all gathered all the information and tried to organize in my mind and tried to be aggressive when I have an at-bat.

Q. Did you have any conversation during the game or did you send any message to the hitters after you?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Yes, we gather all the informations together.

Q. And especially for this season, this team, Shohei Ohtani joined Team Japan. How signature has it been having Ohtani together with you at the clubhouse and in the dugout?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Yeah, he's so amazed by how he plays baseball.

Q. Shohei Ohtani gave a lot of big smiles for us. How did you feel watching Shohei Ohtani playing baseball as a teammate?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: He's such a superstar whenever I speak with him.

Q. I think you are one of the superstars. From now on, it's an elimination game and quarterfinals coming day after tomorrow. What's in your mind?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Yes, from now on, this is going to be a do-or-die game, and much more pressure is coming. This is how we show our preparation and try to not have any regrets.

Q. Let's talk about the opponent, Italy. What's your impression for Team Italy? Did you watch any scouting report? Did you read any scouting stats?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: We he do not have data yet, but as soon as we do, we will try to organize.

Q. Murakami hitting in front of you is not hitting as much as he's supposed to be. Have you had any specific conversation between you and Murakami, the fourth hitter and the fifth hitter, if you spoke with him specifically, let us know, please.

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Well, I'm not sure exactly what's the condition -- what kind of level he is right now, and he's had such an amazing baseball career, I am just a guy hitting behind him. He just has to adjust a small thing and I'm not too worried about it. He is our clean-up hitter, so I want to be our clean-up hitter with confidence. My team has their own -- everyone has their own role, not only Murakami. That's how we work it out.

Q. From now on, you're going to be in do-or-die games; elimination games start. What's the key point in these elimination games?

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: We prepared well. Once the game starts, it's hard to explain, but it's not simply joy but before the game starts, we can do as much preparation as we want, and that's probably the most important thing.

Q. With not so much data of Italy, when you have an at-bat, do you usually have the differences between your image and data in your past, previous experience? Please share.

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: By watching from the dugout, and by feeling the at-bat, yes, there's a big difference. So once I recognized the differences; and also, it's such an international match, WBC at WBC, I don't have three at-bat for one pitcher because they have a pitching limit. So that's something that's different from usual.

Q. When you face against the pitcher for the first time, or when you have less data, you mentioned to us to try not to be -- or the important thing is to try to be aggressive.

MASATAKA YOSHIDA: Yes, exactly.