A tradesman by day, Satoria—an electrician—applies the same attention to detail on the mound. The Czech righty boasts a changeup with movement that struck out Ohtani in the last WBC, along with prominent MLB players such as Lars Nootbaar and Munetaka Murakami.

This time around, he was once again effective in meaningful outings against Australia and Japan. The Tokyo Dome crowd has developed a following for the pitcher who always seems to stump their nation’s best. Satoria doesn’t throw hard, but he has proven that he doesn’t need to.

His story reads like a Hollywood movie script. A stint in MLB, however brief, would be a magical and climactic conclusion to a pitching career that he has already indicated is nearing its end.