…was the most fun I’ve ever had watching baseball in my life! Who will ever forget the showdown between Trout & Ohtani, 3-2 count in the bottom of the 9th of the championship game? And the energy in every stadium for every game was electric! It was truly the “World Cup” of baseball.

Being that I’ve been immersing myself in Japanese language & culture for a few years now, I was rooting for Japan🇯🇵 In fact, I’ve started a little card collection. Because I grew up with Topps cards as a little kid, it’s the sentimental choice for me. And because Topps flagship is the cheapest and most affordable, I went for PSA graded cards.

• Rōki Sasaki, the top prospect in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball,) had the backstory of pitching on the anniversary of the earthquake/tsunami that took the lives of his father and grandparents.
• Two-time MVP Munetaka Murakami is from Kumamoto and had the walk-off hit against Mexico.
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto is probably the most decorated/accomplished pitcher in NPB history and will be coming over to the MLB.

• Masataka Yoshida was clutch all tournament long and was arguably Japan’s best hitter.
• Lars Nootbaar (mom is Japanese) became an overnight sensation and fan favorite! NOOOOOOT🎵
• And Shohei is the best to ever play🦄

Looking forward to the next WBC in 2026! If they need me, they can get a hold of me via LINE or txt message…

Let’s go Samurai Japan🇯🇵 さあ行こう！！！