Asia Professional Baseball Championship 2026 Roster
Tomoya Masaki and Koki Yamaguchi headline the over-age selections for the Pacific League roster as the Nippon Professional Baseball organization finalized its 28-player team under new manager Tatsuhiko Iguchi, pacificleague.com reported.
The tournament runs from November 12 to 15 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, bringing together young standouts and experienced veterans for the regional competition. Pacific League clubs contributed ten infielders and outfielders to the initial player pool.
Tomoya Masaki and Koki Yamaguchi Earn over-Age Selections
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks outfielder Tomoya Masaki earned an over-age selection following a breakout campaign where he batted .274 with 28 home runs and 59 RBI across 101 games. He also claimed the Most Valuable Player award in the SMBC Japan Series 2026 with a .438 series average.
Chiba Lotte Marines slugger Koki Yamaguchi joins Masaki as the second over-age selection after hitting a career-high 38 home runs. Yamaguchi surpassed the previous Chiba franchise record following a late-season surge that included ten home runs in August and five in six games during October.
Saitama Seibu Lions outfielder Taiga Kojima made the roster after finishing his rookie year with a .267 average over 99 games, driving in four game-winning runs among his nine total home runs. HokkaNippon-Ham Fighters outfielder Shunya Shindo enters the tournament after recording a .290 month in September with four home runs.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles shortstop Rui Toyama secured a spot after batting .278 with eight home runs despite missing time with a left wrist injury during spring training. Seibu infielder Seiya Watabe earned selection after hitting 12 home runs and driving in 48 runs across 129 games.
SoftBank infielder Yudai Shoji joins the squad following a postseason run that earned him MVP honors in the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage. Nippon-Ham infielder Shu Yamagata brings defensive versatility after completing his second professional season, while Chiba Lotte outfielder Shisei Nishikawa returns to international play after hitting .290 with 155 hits in 136 games.
Seibu outfielder Shinya Hasegawa rounds out the group after slugging 13 home runs, setting a new record for players drafted out of the developmental squad system. The team opens play on November 12 against international opponents with games scheduled through November 15.
Tournament Fixtures Take Place at Tokyo Dome
Pacific League headquarters confirmed that the team will utilize the Tokyo Dome venue for all tournament fixtures.
Training camps open in early November prior to the tournament’s first pitch on Thursday, November 12, at 6:00 PM local time (9:00 AM UTC).
