The World Baseball Classic is currently taking place in Japan, drawing many of Major League Baseball’s most prominent stars, and surprising fans with unexpected performances from part-time players. Among the standout moments was the return of Czech pitcher and electrician Ondrej Satoria, who stepped back onto the mound against Australia on Friday, three years after his stunning strikeout of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Ondrej Satoria’s Remarkable Comeback and Past Victory Over Ohtani
Ondrej Satoria, an electrician by profession, gained international attention in 2023 during the World Baseball Classic when he struck out Shohei Ohtani in just three pitches during the third inning. The last pitch, a 72.1 mph changeup, bewildered Ohtani, who is a two-time World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers and a top MVP candidate in the current tournament. Though Satoria’s team lost 10-2, that moment became a defining highlight of his career.
The two later met, with Ohtani requesting a Czech jersey signed by Satoria and his teammates.
“It’s like the peak of my career,”
Satoria told The Japan Times in 2024 about striking out Ohtani.
“But I have to be honest, in that moment, I didn’t realize that it was him. I’m just thinking about the hitter.”
Describing the pitch sequence, Satoria explained,
“My sequence was fastball, outside change-up and change-up in the dirt. When I released the third one, I just said to myself, ‘Oh s–—, that’s a terrible pitch.”
“It was spiked in the dirt. And he swung and I was just, ‘Oh, he swung at it?’ It was pure happiness for me.”
The pitch, despite his doubts, resulted in a remarkable strikeout that remains memorable in baseball circles today.
Performance in the 2026 Classic Against Australia
Returning to the international spotlight in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Satoria pitched in the Czech Republic’s game versus Australia at Tokyo Dome. Though the Czechs took an early 1-0 lead thanks to a hit by second baseman Vojtech Mensik, Australia ultimately won 5-1 by shutting out the Czech offense over most innings.
In his relief appearance, Satoria delivered 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run and recorded three strikeouts, demonstrating the skill that had earned him earlier acclaim. Despite his solid outing, the Czech team struggled offensively, failing to score in seven innings, which left their manager Pavel Chadim disappointed.
Reflecting on the game, Chadim said,
“Today, we had seven scoreless innings. We were close to having eight scoreless innings if we had just that one catch at first.”
“We didn’t have a double play, and without that double play, you don’t have such a big chance to win. That’s the best friend of a pitcher, and Tomáš Ondra needed this friend.”
Chadim added,
“I don’t want to say that this game was super bad. We were close. I think it was an easy game for Australia, but I am proud that we showed that we are part of this tournament.”
“It’s not easy to be amateurs, to be from Europe and play with the best guys in the world. If we continue [playing as we have in these first] two performances, I feel we have a chance.”
Wider Impact on Czech Baseball and Support from Japan
This was the Czech Republic’s second appearance in the World Baseball Classic, and much like their first campaign in 2023, their participation has drawn significant support from the Japanese baseball community. According to Chadim, this backing has helped boost baseball’s profile in the Czech Republic and accelerated the sport’s growth in Europe.
“Three years ago after WBC 2023, it was something amazing,”
Chadim remarked. “We feel the support from Japan, from NPB, from Mr. Hideki Kuriyama.”
“It’s so, so nice, and we feel like a younger brother. We feel supported, we feel protected, and it has sped up our baseball [development.]”
With this encouragement and increasingly competitive performances, the Czech team aims to keep improving in future tournaments and bolster baseball’s presence in Europe.
