Right-hander Shosei Toko (24) of the Yomiuri Giants is the starting pitcher for the Japanese national team. He joined the Japanese national team for the Premier 12 in 2024 following the WBC (World Baseball Classic) last year. At the 2023 WBC, his players attracted less attention than Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers), Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres), and Rocky Sasaki (Chiba Lotte Marines).
Premier 12 is different this time. The main starters are Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons), who started in the group league match against Korea, and Hiroto Saiki (Hanshin Tigers), who started in the game against Cuba. The three players ranked in the top five ERAs in the Central League this year. Takahashi ranked first (1.38), Saiki third (1.83), and Togo fifth (1.95).
This time, the Japanese national team is missing a Major League player. Hiromi Ito (Nihonham Fighters), who won the most victories in the Pacific League this year, left the team right before training due to injury. Sasaki, who is seeking to join the Major League through the posting system, is also excluded.
Last year, when he won the WBC title, Dogo was extraordinary once again. Including his two shutouts, he had 12 wins (five losses) and an earned run average of 2.38. Following his 12th win in 2022, he garnered double-digit wins for the second consecutive year and surpassed 170 innings for the second consecutive year. His annual salary jumped from 90 million yen to 180 million yen. He became the first Yomiuri Giants high school graduate to surpass 100 million yen in his sixth year as a pitcher.
He became the first starting pitcher of the season against the Hanshin Tigers in the opening game this year. He pitched six perfect innings without allowing even a single goal, and secured his first win of the season. It was the first start win of an opening game by a pitcher born in the 2000s in the Central League.
On May 24, the team had another wild ride against Hanshin Tigers. It was the first time in 59 years that the team had a "no-hitter" at Hanshin Tigers' Main Room Koshien Stadium. He started 26 games and posted 12 wins (eight losses) for the third consecutive year. He lowered his earned run average (ERA) to the one-point level.
In the fifth group match against the Dominican Republic on Saturday, Dogo will play as the starting member in the last group match. Japan won all four games and ranked first among six teams in Group B. Regardless of the outcome of the match against the Dominican Republic, it has confirmed its advance to the Super Round to be held at Tokyo Dome from Sunday.
The match against Cuba was heated on Wednesday. While leading the game 5-1, Ryu allowed the team to tie the game 6-6 in the seventh inning. The bullpen session was shaky suddenly. He allowed three runs in the sixth inning and two runs in the seventh inning. Ryoya Kurihara made a sacrifice hit in the eighth inning, winning the game 7-6. He led the game with his opponent's shortstop error and a chance to throw a ball to the final point.
Since he took the mound after passing the preliminary round, he feels less pressure. "Everyone throws good pitching and batters are good. I want to continue the good trend. The stadium and the other batters are completely different, but it's important not to pay too much attention," Dogo told Japanese media.
"I am fully prepared ahead of this year's event. I bought a rice cooker and am cooking rice in my room." He came to Taiwan with five kilograms of high-quality rice from Aomori, Japan. Haruto Inoue (23), a junior of the Yomiuri Giants, joined the event. 먹튀검증
Dogo said, "If you don't eat well, you will lose weight. I kept cooking and eating in my room." If you don't eat properly, of course, it's hard to maintain your best condition.
Some Koreans visiting Taiwan also have a hard time adjusting to local food. Dogo, who participated in Yomiuri's Taiwan friendly match in March, said, "The rice was different." He must have suffered from food. He said, "I brought it with me when I was hungry at night, but it's quite helpful." He said he bought curry and Japanese soybean paste soup in Taiwan.
Dogo continued to celebrate rice. He prefers rice for breakfast. "When I eat rice, I don't lose weight in the summer and I feel good," he said. "I feel energized when I eat rice."