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Otani headlines Japan's preliminary WBC roster

KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP / Getty

Shohei Otani is taking his talents to the world stage.

The two-way sensation who's made waves in the United States for his work as both a pitcher and hitter in Nippon Professional Baseball will represent Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

The 22-year-old was one of the first names listed on Japan's preliminary roster, which was initially released in December and confirmed by MLB.com's Manny Randhawa on Tuesday. A total of 19 players, including Otani, have been confirmed for Japan's roster; Houston Astros outfielder Nori Aoki is the lone major-leaguer on the team. The remaining spots will be filled at a later date.

Otani was named MVP of Japan's Pacific League after posting a 1.86 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 21 pitching appearances (20 starts) for the Nippon Ham Fighters. When he wasn't pitching, Otani served as the Fighters' designated hitter and put up a 1.004 OPS while smacking 22 homers in 382 plate appearances. He also won Japan's midseason home run derby and threw the fastest pitch in NPB history, prompting suggestions that he could get a $300-million contract in the majors as a two-way threat.

It's not clear how the Japanese team will utilize their multi-talented star, but the team appears to be open to letting him pitch and hit during the tournament.

"He came up with results both as a pitcher and hitter, so we are going to have to consult with our manager and coaches on how we can capitalize on his maximum potential," Japan team head Hiromasa Kamo told Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times in December.

Japan, which won the first two editions of the WBC and reached the semifinal round four years ago, will open the 2017 tournament on March 7 against Cuba at the Tokyo Dome.

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