Bungeishunju's comprehensive sports magazine 'Sports Graphic Number' issue 1140, 'MLB Opening & WBC Special: Shohei Ohtani Made the World Take It Seriously,' goes on sale Thursday, March 26!

Bungeishunju Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Shigeyuki Iikubo) will release the 1140th issue of the comprehensive sports magazine 'Sports Graphic Number,' titled 'MLB Opening & WBC Special: Shohei Ohtani Made the World Take It Seriously,' on March 26. ■ Comment from Kohei Tamura, Desk Editor for Number 1140 Shohei Ohtani once said this in an interview with Number: 'I feel like I have adapted to my current environment. While the way of thinking about batting and pitching changes with the times, I feel that I am able to do what I want to do while firmly adapting to those changes.' (Issue 1116) The 6th WBC, where Samurai Japan's dream of consecutive titles was cut short in the quarterfinals, became a tournament where we truly felt the 'changes' in Major League Baseball. Compared to the previous tournament three years ago, many things have changed, including the speed of play, the strike zone, rules, equipment, and the use of data. I suspect that the Japan national team, which was composed mostly of players playing in the NPB while boasting Ohtani, who stands at the pinnacle of the current 'environment,' faced a difficult situation with the greatest disparity in adaptation within the team in the world. This is vividly documented in the 'Head Coach Makoto Kaneko Diary' published in this issue. It serves as a valuable record of Samurai Japan's struggles from the Miyazaki training camp in February to the Venezuela game on March 14, as written by Coach Kaneko. Additionally, pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who agreed to an interview after the tournament, said, 'Major League Baseball is evolving about five times faster than the Japanese baseball world.' He mentioned that he sees players from Central and South America working on their diet, sleep, and basic training even more thoroughly than Japanese players every day. A glimpse of this was also seen in the precise baseball played by the champion, Venezuela. With the globally exciting WBC over, the 2026 MLB season begins. Through the reporting in this issue, we can see that Ohtani is indeed raising the level of Major League Baseball, as rivals who were denied an MVP award by him are burning with a competitive spirit, and the Blue Jays, who are competing with the Dodgers for the world title, are pioneering their own unique path to improvement. This is a special feature that will help you understand the current standing of Ohtani and Japan in the baseball world. -------------------------------------------------- Sports Graphic Number Issue 1140 MLB Opening & WBC Special: Shohei Ohtani Made the World Take It Seriously -------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES [WBC Final Report] Text by Ayako Oikawa Venezuela's Strategy That Silenced America [WBC Document] Text by Yuta Ishida Shohei Ohtani: 'Even in Defeat' [Special Interview] Text by Keizo Konishi Yusei Kikuchi: 'To Catch Up to the Majors' [Heading into the Final Year of the Contract] Text by Koji Sasada Seiya Suzuki: 'What I Do Won't Change' [Toward the First World Title in 33 Years] Text by Brad Lefton Toronto Blue Jays: 'Just Like Japanese Baseball' [Revealed by a Rival] Text by Ayako Oikawa Shohei Ohtani Pushed the 'Limits' of the Majors [The Manager's Heart] Text by Yasushi Washida Hirokazu Ibata: 'The Mission I Imposed on Myself' [Head Coach Makoto Kaneko's Diary] Text by Takashi Akasaka Tested by the Baseball Gods -------------------------------------------------- Commentary by Takashi Toritani, Text by Yasushi Washida / Yuta Ishida / Yosuke Sai [Quarterfinals] vs. Venezuela 5-8: 'Why Japan's Bait Pitches Didn't Work' [KEY PERSONS] Tomoichiro Sumida: 'Tossed About by Trends' / Shota Morishita: 'Genius Concentration' [1st Round ①] vs. Chinese Taipei 13-0: 'The Two Who Set the Stage for Ohtani's Grand Slam' [KEY PERSONS] Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 'Calculated Curveball' / Shugo Maki: 'The Mood Maker's Spark' [1st Round ②] vs. South Korea 8-6: 'Batting That Shone in a Slugfest According to the Situation' [KEY PERSONS] Yusei Kikuchi: 'Thoughts Put Into the Hug' / Seiya Suzuki: 'Two Consecutive Home Runs of Calm and Passion' [1st Round ③] vs. Australia 4-3: 'Mistakes and Issues Appearing Early' [KEY PERSONS] Tomoyuki Sugano: 'Splitter for Fighting' / Masataka Yoshida: 'The 4th Batter Functioning as a 4th Batter' [1st Round ④] vs. Czech Republic 9-0: 'Okamoto's Third Base Defense That Keeps Helping the Pitchers' [KEY PERSONS] Hiroto Takahashi: 'First Start in 3 Years' / Ukyo Shuto: 'The Evolved Specialist' [Record of the Fierce Battle] 1st Round Review -------------------------------------------------- [The True Value of a 30-Year-Old] Text by Yuko Tanaka Yuki Ishikawa: 'Carrying Two Personalities' [Thoughts in the Second Year in Italy] Text by Noriko Yone mushi Nanami Seki: 'The Scenery I Saw Because I Came Here' -------------------------------------------------- REGULARS [Thorough Commentary] Text by Jun Ikushima Nishonoseki Oyakata: 'Sumo, This Technique, This Wrestler' No. 38 Yoshinofuji [Bi-monthly Series] Kasumi Ishikawa's 'I Want to Meet You' (12) Kotaro Kiyomiya: 'It Would Be Great to Hit 30 Home Runs This Season' BEYOND THE GAME Yasushi Washida: 'The Issue with the WBC is Fairness' SCORE CARD INTERVIEW [SOCCER] Text by Toshiro Ninomiya Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima): The PK Strategy of a Japan National Team GK Candidate, Spun with Dignity and Calmness [FIGURE SKATING] Text by Mie Noguchi Amber Glenn: 'There is No Age Limit to Dreams' The Big Stage Reached at 26 [HORSE RACING] Text by Ryozo Katayama Yoshihiro Furukawa: A Survivor of the 'Flowering 12th Class.' Has the Prime Arrived After Over 600 Career Wins!? [PRO WRESTLING] Text by Gantz Horie Hiroto Tsuruya: Martial Arts is the 'Compulsory Education' of the Tsuruya Family. What is the 19-Year-Old's Conviction? From Overseas Sites MLB Text by Mamoru Shikama FOOTBALL Text by Susumu Toyofuku TENNIS Text by Hidehiro Akiyama -------------------------------------------------- Next Issue Preview & Editor's Note / CATCH THE NEWS -------------------------------------------------- ■ Media Information Magazine Name: 'Sports Graphic Number' Issue 1140 Release Date: March 26, 2026 (Thursday) *Metropolitan area standard Special Price: 860 yen (tax included) Related URL: https://number.bunshun.jp/ -------------------------------------------------- ■ About 'Sports Graphic Number' Japan's only comprehensive sports magazine, launched in 1980. It conveys the charm of sports and athletes, from major to minor sports, through 'beautiful and bold visuals' and 'unique perspectives in writing.' Released every other Thursday. 'Number Web' has been publishing timely and unique sports columns since 1999.