The 2025 Nippon Professional Baseball season has officially passed the halfway mark. With All-Star Week approaching later in July, it’s time to check in on how each of the six Pacific League teams are faring so far. (Last week’s newsletter focused on the Central League). It’s also important to remember that NPB is currently in the midst of a “dead ball era,” with offense at historic lows. The league-average OPS is just .635, while the average ERA stands at 2.79.
Midseason NPB Starting Pitcher Draft
Nippon-Ham Fighters
The Fighters ended their playoff drought last season and have taken another giant step in 2025. Under Tsuyoshi Shinjo, the team is firing on all cylinders, leading NPB with 73 home runs, pacing the PL with a 126 ERA+, and ranking second in Defensive Runs Saved. The lineup is loaded with firepower as Franmil Reyes leads the PL with 16 long balls, while Chusei Mannami, Shun Mizutani, Yuki Nomura, and Kotaro Kiyomiya have combined for 35 more. Tatsuki Mizuno has emerged as the best-hitting shortstop in NPB, and Yuya Gunji has been an invaluable utility man.
The young starting rotation is among the most reliable in NPB, featuring Hiromi Itoh, Koki Kitayama, Kota Tatsu, Shoma Kanemura, Takayuki Katoh, and Sachiya Yamasaki. New import Ruei-Yang Gu Lin was also making a great impression before getting injured. The bullpen was inconsistent early on, but has started to click of late. Nippon-Ham has all the pieces to make a championship run this season.
Orix Buffaloes
After winning three straight pennants, the Buffaloes stumbled in 2024, finishing in fifth place. But 2025 has been a different story as they’re 12 games over .500 and just one game out of first. Ironically, their biggest strength in past years, pitching, has been underwhelming this season, made worse by a league-worst -51 Defensive Runs Saved. Still, ace Hiroya Miyagi has been excellent with a 2.45 ERA and 25.4% strikeout rate, while free agent addition Allen Kuri has delivered with a 2.30 ERA over 14 starts. Once Shunpeita Yamashita returns from injury and Ryuhei Sotani rediscovers his best form, the rotation should get a significant boost. Out of the pen, Andres Machado has been a steady presence, recording 18 saves with a 1.67 ERA.
On the flip side, their offense has taken a huge leap forward, leading NPB with a 121 OPS+. Nine regulars are hitting above league-average. Yutaro Sugimoto, Ryoma Nishikawa, Taishi Hirooka, and Ryo Ohta are all batting over .300 with an OPS+ north of 140. Yuma Tongu also has eight dingers and a team-best 36 RBI.
SoftBank Hawks
The mighty Hawks endured an injury-plagued 9-16-2 start to the season but have recovered to a 43-31-3 record as their star-studded roster has gotten healthier. The defending PL champions also took the interleague crown and are once again playing like one of the most dangerous teams in NPB. Reigning MVP Kensuke Kondoh missed time with an injury and has only managed a .725 OPS so far, but Tatsuru Yanagimachi and Isami Nomura are breaking out with .815 and .791 OPS, respectively. Hotaka Yamakawa leads the team with 13 home runs (though he’s only batting .200), while Ukyo Shuto has swiped 18 bags. Veteran superstar Yuki Yanagita is still hurt.
In his second season as a starter, ace Livan Moinelo has elevated his game even further with a 1.27 ERA and a 28.4% strikeout rate. Haru Matsumoto has been lights out since his promotion, posting a 1.71 ERA and 28.6% strikeout rate. Tomohisa Ohzeki also has a sub-2.00 ERA. Roberto Osuna lost the closer job and was replaced by Kazuki Sugiyama, who has been untouchable with a 0.98 ERA and 54 strikeouts in just 36 ⅔ innings.
Seibu Lions
After one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2024, the Lions have bounced back in 2025 under manager Fumiya Nishiguchi to be over .500. Tatsuya Imai and Chihiro Sumida have formed arguably the best one-two punch in Japan, both posting ERAs in the mid-1s, with Imai leading NPB in strikeouts. Trey Wingenter has been a revelation as the setup man, striking out nearly 40% of hitters. Kaima Taira has returned to the closer role and registered 20 saves.
While the hitting still lags behind, the team plays stellar defense (tied for the NPB lead with 22 Defensive Runs Saved). They’re also being energized by the emergence of a promising young core including Manaya Nishikawa, Shinya Hasegawa, Natsuo Takizawa, and rookie Seiya Watanabe. New import Tyler Nevin leads the team in home runs and carries a 140 OPS+. The top of the PL is tight, but Seibu can remain in postseason contention.
Rakuten Eagles
Offensively, the Eagles rank last in homers but still hold a solid 103 OPS+ thanks to an NPB-best 71 stolen bases. Hiroto Kobukata leads the league with 22 swipes, with Ryosuke Tatsumi and Daisuke Nakashima also in double digits. Veteran slugger Hideto Asamura owns a solid 132 OPS+, while Itsuki Murabayashi is in batting title contention with a .317 average. Top prospect Rui Muneyama has had a solid rookie campaign, hitting .248 while providing plus defense at short. The recent additions of Oscar Gonzalez and Luke Voit could provide a much-needed power boost in the second half.
The issue for Rakuten is poor starting pitching, which is by far the worst in the PL, despite commendable efforts by the likes of Masaru Fujii and Spencer Howard. Ace Takahisa Hayakawa is struggling to replicate his success from 2024. The bullpen has fared better overall, led by breakout stud Naoto Nishiguchi, who has yet to allow a run in 26 appearances. All things considered, new skipper Hajime Miki has done a good job of keeping the Eagles competitive while integrating younger players, but the playoffs seem out of reach.
Lotte Marines
After reaching the postseason in four of the past five years, the Marines have fallen to last place in 2025. Many of last season’s top performers are either gone (like Roki Sasaki and CC Mercedes) or are struggling (like Gregory Polanco, Neftali Soto, and Toshiya Satoh). Kyota Fujiwara leads the team in WAR among position players, while Austin Voth tops the pitching staff.
Lotte is making the most of the down year by providing opportunities to build for the future with youngsters like Daito Yamamoto, Ryusei Terachi, Misho Nishikawa, and Raito Ikeda now earning regular playing time in the lineup. Yamamoto already has double-digit homers in just 55 games. On the hill, 21-year-old Haruya Tanaka is breaking out as a true ace, posting an impressive 114 ERA+ and a 27.4% strikeout rate. Shunsuke Nakamori has also found his footing in the bullpen, tying for the team lead in saves while posting an elite 32.4% strikeout rate.
Central League Standings
Pacific League Standings
- NPB Standings
- Central League Hitting Leaders
- Central League Pitching Leaders
- Pacific League Hitting Leaders
- Pacific League Pitching Leaders
- Yakyu Cosmopolitan’s Website
