Hanshin Cruise to CL Title
The Hanshin Tigers made history by clinching the pennant on Sunday, September 7, the fastest date in Central League history. The previous record was September 8, set by the 1990 Yomiuri Giants. Rookie skipper Kyuji Fujikawa also became the first manager in franchise history to win the pennant in his first year at the helm. Barring a flat 8-10 record in interleague, Hanshin dominated from start to finish, coasting to the pennant as the rest of the field struggled to even stay above .500. As of today, the Hanshin Tigers are 79-49-3 and in position to chase a new franchise record for wins in a season.
Their top of the order has been remarkably steady all season, featuring Koji Chikamoto (.350 OBP, 30 SB), Takumu Nakano (.289 AVG, 19 SB), Shota Morishita (.802 OPS, 21 HR), Teruaki Sato (.916 OPS, 36 HR), and Yusuke Ohyama (.351 OBP, 9 HR). On the mound, Hanshin has been even more formidable, compiling a ridiculous 2.14 ERA as a staff. The rotation features substantial depth in Shoki Murakami (157.1 IP, 2.12 ERA), Hiroto Saiki (151.2 IP, 1.60 ERA), Jon Duplantier (90.2 IP, 1.39 ERA), Takato Ihara (99 IP, 2.18 ERA), Kotaro Ohtake (85 IP, 2.54 ERA), Masashi Itoh (83.1 IP, 2.38 ERA), and Haruto Takahashi (38.2 IP, 2.09 ERA). The bullpen has been just as impressive, with Suguru Iwazaki (31 SV, 1.69 ERA), Masaki Oyokawa (41 HLD, 0.93 ERA), and Daichi Ishii (35 HLD, 0.18 ERA) locking games down.
SoftBank, Nippon-Ham Locked in Pennant Race
The Pacific League pennant race is coming down to the wire, with the SoftBank Hawks and Nippon-Ham Fighters duking it out in the final stretch. After stumbling to a 9-16 start due to early injuries, Hiroki Kokubo’s Hawks have returned to their winning ways, going 36 games over .500 since and dropping only eight of their last 49 at home. Nippon-Ham has been steady under the leadership of Tsuyoshi Shinjo and sits just 2.5 games back, with two head-to-head matchups left. SoftBank holds a slim 12-11 edge in the season series, and the teams boast very similar stats across the board.
Offensively, the Hawks have reigning MVP Kensuke Kondoh, speedster Ukyo Shuto, batting-title contender Taisei Makihara, slugger Hotaka Yamakawa, breakout bat Tatsuru Yanagimachi, and the well-rounded Ryoya Kurihara, with veteran superstar Yuki Yanagita aiming for a late-season return. The Fighters counter with big power bats in Franmil Reyes, Chusei Mannami, and Shun Mizutani, with many other young contributors, including Yuki Nomura, Kotaro Kiyomiya, Yuya Gunji, Yua Tamiya, and Tatsuki Mizuno.
SoftBank’s rotation is anchored by Cuban ace Livan Moinelo, who leads NPB in ERA, with strong support from Tomohisa Ohzeki, Haru Matsumoto, and ex-Fighters Kohei Arihara and Naoyuki Uwasawa. On the other side, Nippon-Ham leans on a formidable trio in Hiromi Itoh, Koki Kitayama, and Kota Tatsu, while veteran southpaws Sachiya Yamasaki and Takayuki Katoh add depth. Out of the bullpen, the Fighters can unleash flamethrowers like Taisei Yanagawa, Yukiya Saito, and Seigi Tanaka, while the Hawks have a three-headed dragon at their disposal in Kouya Fujii, Yuki Matsumoto, and Kazuki Sugiyama.
Murakami on a Tear
Munetaka Murakami returned from an oblique injury in late July and hasn’t stopped hitting bombs since. The Yakult Swallows superstar has already crushed 19 homers in just 43 games, vaulting into NPB’s top five despite playing only a month and a half. His biggest highlights came on August 30 and September 4, when he delivered a three-homer game followed by a two-homer performance.
Murakami is expected to be posted to MLB this offseason, and while his high strikeout and whiff rates (combined with well below-average defense at third base) raise questions about his transition, his raw power is undeniable. He’s posted a .276/.365/.679 slash line so far this season and looks to have regained the confidence and swagger that defined his earlier success. It’s not quite at the earth-shattering level of his historic 2022 campaign, but it’s a strong rebound from the past two years. This season was also the first time he missed a significant stretch of time, as he’s otherwise been very durable.
