33 articles
2025 Japan Series
2025 Japan Series (SMBC日本シリーズ2025): 76th NPB championship, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks beat Hanshin Tigers 4-1 for their 12th title, first since 2020; Hotaka Yamakawa was series MVP.
2025 Nippon Professional Baseball season
2025 Nippon Professional Baseball season: both leagues opened March 28, 2025. Hanshin (.612) and SoftBank (.626) won the pennants; SoftBank beat Hanshin 4-1 for its 12th Japan Series title, first in five years.
2026 Nippon Professional Baseball season
2026 Nippon Professional Baseball season, NPB's 12-club Central and Pacific League season, opened March 27, 2026; Hanshin won the Central League at 79-62-2, SoftBank led the Pacific League, and NPB adopted a pitch clock on August 3, 2026.
Baseball in Japan
Baseball in Japan (yakyū, 野球): introduced 1872 by Horace Wilson; NPB two-league pro circuit since 1950; Koshien high school tournaments; about 70 Japanese players in MLB since Murakami 1964; WBC champions 2006, 2009, 2023.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂大輔)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂大輔), nicknamed Dice-K, Japanese right-handed pitcher born 1980; Koshien legend, Seibu Lions ace, Red Sox signing ($51.1M posting fee), 2007 World Series winner, and two-time World Baseball Classic MVP (2006, 2009).
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (福岡ソフトバンクホークス)
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (福岡ソフトバンクホークス), NPB Pacific League team at MIZUHO PayPay Dome Fukuoka; founded 1938 as Nankai, moved to Fukuoka 1989, SoftBank-owned since 2005; 21 pennants, 12 Japan Series titles including 2025 and 2026 third straight league crown.
Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース)
Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース), Central League NPB team at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, Nishinomiya; founded 1935 as Osaka Tigers; Japan Series champions 1985 and 2023; manager Kyuji Fujikawa.
Hayato Sakamoto
Hayato Sakamoto (坂本 勇人), born 1988, Japanese baseball infielder for the Yomiuri Giants since 2007; 2,474 NPB hits, 303 home runs, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold as Japan's shortstop; distinct from figure skater Kaori Sakamoto.
Hideto Asamura
Hideto Asamura is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball, known for his Pacific League record 1,346-game consecutive streak.
Hiromi Itoh
Hiromi Itoh (伊藤大海), born 1997 in Hokkaido, is a left-batting, right-throwing pitcher for the NPB's Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Japan's national team, winning baseball gold at Tokyo 2020 and pitching in the 2023 and 2026 World Baseball Classics.
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (北海道日本ハムファイターズ), NPB Pacific League club in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido; owned by Nippon Ham since 1973; moved from Tokyo Dome (1988-2003) to Sapporo Dome (2004-2022), then Es Con Field Hokkaido (2023); 7 pennants, 3 Japan Series titles.
Kaima Taira
Kaima Taira (平良海馬), born 1999, is a Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher in NPB and Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball gold medalist; 2020 Rookie of the Year, 2025 saves leader, 2026 ERA title winner at 1.36, expected MLB posting candidate.
Kensuke Kondoh
Kensuke Kondoh (近藤健介, born 1993), also romanized Kondo, Japanese NPB outfielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and formerly the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters; Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist and 2023, 2026 World Baseball Classic Japan selection.
Koshien Stadium (阪神甲子園球場)
Hanshin Koshien Stadium (阪神甲子園球場), opened 1924 in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, is Japan's historic ballpark: home of the Hanshin Tigers and venue of the spring and summer national high school baseball tournaments, capacity 47,359.
Koyo Aoyagi
Koyo Aoyagi (青柳 晃洋), born 1993 in Yokohama, is a Japanese sidearm right-handed pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows; a three-time NPB All-Star with Hanshin, 2022 Central League ERA/wins leader, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist.
Masato Morishita
Masato Morishita (森下 暢仁), born 1997 in Oita, is a right-handed pitcher for NPB's Hiroshima Toyo Carp, 2020 Central League Rookie of the Year, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball gold medalist who won the final start against the USA.
Munenori Kawasaki (川崎宗則)
Munenori Kawasaki (川崎宗則), born 1981 in Kagoshima, Japanese infielder; Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks star, 8-time NPB All-Star, two-time WBC champion, 2016 Cubs World Series winner, and beloved Blue Jays utility infielder.
Nippon Professional Baseball (日本野球機構)
Nippon Professional Baseball (日本野球機構, NPB), Japan's top professional baseball organization, runs the Central and Pacific Leagues, 12 teams total, founded as a two-league system in 1950 after the 1936 single league, with the Japan Series as its championship.
Orix Buffaloes (オリックス・バファローズ)
Orix Buffaloes (オリックス・バファローズ), NPB Pacific League team at Kyocera Dome Osaka; formed 2005 from Orix Blue Wave–Kintetsu Buffaloes merger; 15 PL pennants, 5 Japan Series titles including 2022.
Ryoji Kuribayashi
Ryoji Kuribayashi (栗林良吏), born 1996 in Aisai, Aichi, is a Hiroshima Toyo Carp right-handed pitcher, Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist, and former NPB closer (134 saves, 2.22 career ERA) who became a starter in 2026.
Ryosuke Kikuchi
Ryosuke Kikuchi (菊池 涼介), born 1990, is a Japanese second baseman for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (NPB), a 2011 second-round draftee, Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist with Samurai Japan, and 2017 WBC infielder with 1,898 career hits through 2026.
Ryoya Kurihara
Ryoya Kurihara (栗原 陵矢), Japanese NPB player for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks; catcher, infielder, and outfielder; 2020 Japan Series MVP and Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball gold medalist.
Ryutaro Umeno
Ryutaro Umeno (梅野 隆太郎, born 1991) is a Hanshin Tigers catcher in NPB, a 2013 fourth-round draftee, multi-year Golden Glove winner, and gold medalist in men's baseball for Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sadaharu Oh (王貞治)
Sadaharu Oh (王貞治), born 1940, Yomiuri Giants first baseman; world professional record 868 career home runs, 2,786 hits, .301 average; flamingo one-legged stance; 2006 World Baseball Classic winning manager.
Sosuke Genda
Sosuke Genda (源田 壮亮), born 1993 in Oita, Japan, is the shortstop of NPB's Saitama Seibu Lions, a seven-time Golden Glove winner, Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist, and 2023 World Baseball Classic champion with Samurai Japan.
Suguru Iwazaki
Suguru Iwazaki (岩崎 優), born 1991, is a left-handed pitcher for NPB's Hanshin Tigers and a Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist with Japan's national baseball team, with 131 career NPB saves.
Tetsuto Yamada
Tetsuto Yamada (山田 哲人), born 1992, is a Tokyo Yakult Swallows infielder in NPB. He won baseball gold at Tokyo 2020, hitting .350, and was named WBSC All-Olympic Team MVP; also played in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics.
Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム)
Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム) is Japan's first all-weather multipurpose stadium, opened March 17, 1988 in Bunkyo, Tokyo. Air-supported membrane roof at 0.3% overpressure, 55,000 capacity, home of the Yomiuri Giants and a landmark concert venue.
Yokohama DeNA BayStars (横浜DeNAベイスターズ)
Yokohama DeNA BayStars (横浜DeNAベイスターズ), NPB Central League club at Yokohama Stadium; founded 1949 as Taiyo Whales, owned by DeNA since 2011; Japan Series titles 1960, 1998, 2024.
Yomiuri Giants (読売ジャイアンツ)
Yomiuri Giants (読売ジャイアンツ) is a professional baseball club in Tokyo, Japan, founded on December 26, 1934, as the Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club. It is Japan's oldest surviving team.