Flamethrowing phenom Roki Sasaki finally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a $6.5 million bonus after narrowing his field of finalists down to the Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays this week. He joins Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, forming a stacked trio of Japanese superstars on the defending World Series champions. Meanwhile, Koyo Aoyagi signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
In other news, 18-year-old Shotaro Morii signed with the Athletics for a $1.5 million bonus. The two-way prospect skipped the NPB Draft last fall and will now begin his journey in an MLB organization. Following in the footsteps of Rintaro Sasaki, some believe more Japanese amateurs will bypass NPB to start their careers stateside in the future.
Last week, we looked at the realistic expectations for each of the six Pacific League teams entering the 2025 season. This time, we turn it over to the Central League. Let’s dig in.
Yomiuri Giants
(Last Year: Lost Championship Series)
Under new manager Shinnosuke Abe, the Giants won its first pennant since 2020 with a strong 77-59-7 record. But the team’s formidable offense fell apart in the League Championship Series, leading to an early exit at the hands of the DeNA BayStars. MVP Tomoyuki Sugano left for MLB, but they still have superstars like Kazuma Okamoto and Shosei Togo and added free agents like Raidel Martinez, Takuya Kai, and Masahiro Tanaka to compensate for the loss. It’s Japan Series or bust!
Expectation: Win Japan Series
Hanshin Tigers
(Last Year: Lost Wild Card Series)
The Tigers broke the curse of the colonel in 2023 with a title but failed to return to the Japan Series in 2024, finishing 3.5 games behind the Giants for first place in the regular season. But with a championship core of players like Shoki Murakami, Hiroto Saiki, Koji Chikamoto, and Shota Morishita still together, Hanshin will be expected to be very competitive under new skipper Kyuji Fujikawa.
Expectation: Pennant Contender
DeNA BayStars
(Last Year: Won Japan Series)
It took a late-season collapse by Hiroshima for the BayStars to sneak into the playoffs, but they got hot at the right time and took that momentum across the finish line with a magical Japan Series championship run. Led by premier hitters Shugo Maki, Toshiro Miyazaki, and Tyler Austin, DeNA will be a force to be reckoned with again so long as the pitching continues to hold up.
Expectation: Playoff Contender
Hiroshima Carp
(Last Year: Missed Playoffs)
The Carp punched well above its weight for most of 2024 but fell apart in September with a nightmare 7-22 record down the stretch to miss the postseason. To make matters worse, the team lost one of its top starters, Aren Kuri, in free agency. While Takahiro Arai’s men always seem to do the little things right and exhibit great fundamentals, the roster isn’t quite as inspiring as other CL contenders.
Expectation: Below .500
Yakult Swallows
(Last Year: Missed Playoffs)
After winning back-to-back pennants in 2021 and 2022, the Swallows have missed the postseason in consecutive seasons. On paper, Yakult still has one of the most explosive lineups in NPB led by Munetaka Murakami, Yasutaka Shiomi, Tetsuto Yamada, and Domingo Santana. However, health concerns and pitching flaws may continue to hold the team back in what will be Murakami’s final year in Japan.
Expectation: Close to .500
Chunichi Dragons
(Last Year: Missed Playoffs)
The Dragons are amid a 12-year playoff drought, but there’s reason to believe the team can finally break through in 2025. A young position player core is coming together with burgeoning sluggers like Hiroki Fukunaga and Seiya Hosokawa, while the pitching features elite youngsters like ERA title winner Hiroto Takahashi and No. 1 prospect Yumeto Kanemaru. The question is, can new skipper Kazuki Inoue lead Chunichi out of the cellar?
Expectation: Not Last Place
- NPB Standings
- Central League Hitting Leaders
- Central League Pitching Leaders
- Pacific League Hitting Leaders
- Pacific League Pitching Leaders
- Yakyu Cosmopolitan’s Website
