Pittsburgh Review

The Tokyo Dome is set to host a significant baseball clash between Japan and the United States on Thursday. This matchup comes 611 days after the memorable finale of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The game marks the beginning of the Super Round at the WBSC Premier12, with Team USA fielding a youthful squad primarily consisting of players not on Major League 40-man rosters.

Japan's team includes top talents from Nippon Professional Baseball, though they will miss some key players like Roki Sasaki due to MLB postings and others like Munetaka Murakami due to injuries. Despite being seen as underdogs, Team USA remains undeterred by Samurai Japan's impressive 24-game winning streak across various competitions.

Termarr Johnson, a second baseman for Team USA and ranked No. 3 among Pirates prospects, expressed his enthusiasm ahead of the match. "I’m trying to come in and take one from Japan — and take it all from Japan," he stated.

Japan currently holds the top spot in the WBSC men's baseball world rankings. Their last loss occurred almost five years ago against Team USA during the same tournament stage at this venue in 2019. Since then, Japan has been undefeated in several major tournaments, including a gold medal win over Korea.

Johnson credits his development to programs like MLB Develops, which he says changed his life significantly. "I wouldn’t be here today without it," he acknowledged.

Team USA’s advancement out of the group stage owes much to Johnson’s performance; he's played all five games with notable statistics including a two-run homer against Mexico.

Ryan Ward praised Johnson's energy: "He has probably the most energy [of anyone] I’ve ever played with."

As Johnson aims for success at this tournament before focusing on future goals like making his Major League debut, he emphasized his current priority: “I’m honestly just worried about trying to get a gold medal now.”

The upcoming Super Round features three days of round-robin play among four teams—USA will face Chinese Taipei on Friday and Venezuela on Saturday—with Sunday's medal matches determined by standings after these games.

Reflecting on representing his country at such an eventful moment, Johnson said: “I’m excited to be able to bring it back for my country... It’s a blessing.”