05/05/2021 1 Minute Read

Samurai Japan may make a few surprise picks for Olympic baseball roster

Manager Atsunori Inaba is actively scouting the top league in Japan, NPB, to build the national team.

Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is now 30 games into the 2021 season, and Samurai Japan manager Atsunori Inaba has been actively scouting NPB teams, as he builds the national team roster for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Slugger Munetaka Murakami (Tokyo Yakult Swallows) is making a strong case. The 21-year old first baseman didn't make the WBSC Premier12 roster, but he has already hit ten home runs.

"He is really helping carry the team," commented Inaba.

Third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (Tokyo Yomiuri Giants) is another player to watch. The 26-year old was a 30+ home run hitter both in 2019 and 2020. He could be an alternative to 37-year old veteran Nobuhiro Matsuda, who was the starting third baseman for Japan in WBSC Premier12 2019.

Inaba didn't count him out. "I wanna see how he continues to improve," the manager told the Japan Times.

Samurai Japan's closer job is reportedly up for the grabs, after BayStars' Yasuaki Yamasaki, who closed out the Premier12 2019, likely lost the role, following a disappointing 2020 season.

Rookie Ryoji Kuribayashi (Hiroshima Toyo Carp) has made sensation posting 14 straight scoreless appearances to begin his pro career, setting a new NPB record. He has recorded 8 saves.

Inaba is reportedly also considering veterans Hiroshi Kaino, Rei Takahashi (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) and Yuki Matsui (Rakuten Golden Eagles) to fill the role of closer. The 25-year old left-hander who was on the roster for the inaugural Premier12 but missed the second edition because of discomfort in his pitching elbow.

Former Major League Baseball (MLB) star Masahiro Tanaka also plays for the Eagles. He was not on Inaba's radar until the start of the season. It won't be a surprise to see his name on the Olympic roster.

In addition to scouting for players, Inaba and the other already qualified teams for Tokyo 2020 will be scouting their potential opponents at the upcoming WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier in Florida and WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier in Taiwan.