Japan vs Republic of Korea Prediction 13 November 2026
🔥 Japan and South Korea will meet in the Asian Baseball Championship in Tokyo. Both national teams have traditionally been among the continent’s strongest and regularly contend for top places at international tournaments. Japan opened the competition with a convincing 5-0 win over Taiwan. South Korea, by contrast, suffered a surprise 8-7 defeat to Australia. The hosts therefore go into this rivalry game in a stronger position.
Head-to-Head
📊 The teams' last head-to-head game was a month and a half ago. Republic of Korea won 3-1.
Head-to-head statistics Japan - Republic of Korea
Japan Team Overview
Japan played well in their opening game, holding Taiwan scoreless. The hosts recorded 11 hits, and Tomoya Masaki was one of the standout performers, hitting two home runs and contributing three runs for the team. Japan have won four of their previous five games, holding their opponents scoreless in three of them. The depth of their pitching rotation remains an important advantage, allowing them to maintain reliable pitching throughout all nine innings. Kazuyuki Takemaru, who finished his debut NPB season with a 3.27 ERA, will start against South Korea.
Match Results: Japan
Republic of Korea Team Overview
The Republic of Korea began the tournament with a painful loss to Australia, allowing eight runs. Their offence nevertheless scored seven runs, showing they can get back into a game even after a poor start. The Koreans played Japan twice in September, winning one game 3-1 and losing the other 5-0. Pitching consistency remains their main problem, as early mistakes keep forcing the team to come from behind. Left-hander Kim Jin-uk is set to start against Japan and will have to contain the hosts’ productive offence.
Match Results: Republic of Korea
⭐ Editor's Pick
We favour Japan, who have made a more convincing start to the tournament and have home-field advantage. The hosts showed reliable pitching against Taiwan, while their offence has already made an impact through Masaki’s powerful hits. South Korea can create dangerous situations on the bases, but the eight runs they allowed in their previous game raise questions about their defensive reliability. Given the teams’ current form and Japan’s advantage in how they organise their play, we expect the hosts to take the initiative and hold it until the end of the game. Our pick is Japan to win with a -1.5 run line.
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Betting Tips: Japan - Republic of Korea
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