BayStars 8 
Tigers 5 Asia, Japan
Nippon Professional Baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is Japan's top professional baseball league: 12 clubs in the Central League and the Pacific League. The 2026 Japan Series is set: the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, starting October 24.
Latest scores
Full scheduleBayStars 8 Tigers 5 BayStars 4 Tigers 0 
Fighters 2 
Hawks 6 BayStars 1 Tigers 0 Fighters 2 Hawks 6 BayStars 2 Tigers 0 Standings
Full tableCentral League
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanshin TigersTigers | 79 | 62 | .560 | — |
| 2 |  Yomiuri GiantsGiants | 76 | 64 | .543 | 2.5 |
| 3 | Yokohama DeNA BayStarsBayStars | 71 | 69 | .507 | 7.5 |
| 4 |  Hiroshima Toyo CarpCarp | 61 | 78 | .439 | 17.0 |
| 5 |  Tokyo Yakult SwallowsSwallows | 61 | 80 | .433 | 18.0 |
| 6 |  Chunichi DragonsDragons | 60 | 81 | .426 | 19.0 |
Top 3 advance to the Climax Series
Pacific League
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fukuoka SoftBank HawksHawks | 91 | 49 | .650 | — |
| 2 |  Saitama Seibu LionsLions | 79 | 60 | .568 | 11.5 |
| 3 | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersFighters | 78 | 62 | .557 | 13.0 |
| 4 |  Orix BuffaloesBuffaloes | 65 | 76 | .461 | 26.5 |
| 5 |  Chiba Lotte MarinesMarines | 63 | 77 | .450 | 28.0 |
| 6 |  Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesEagles | 58 | 84 | .408 | 34.0 |
Top 3 advance to the Climax Series
Next up
All gamesHawks BayStars Hawks BayStars BayStars Hawks BayStars Hawks Stat leaders
All statsBatting leaders
Home runs
- 1 Ryoya KuriharaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks 40
- 2 Teruaki SatoHanshin Tigers 39
- 3 Koki YamaguchiChiba Lotte Marines 38
Batting average
- 1 Franmil ReyesHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters .313
- 2 Kensuke KondohFukuoka SoftBank Hawks .309
- 3 Koji ChikamotoHanshin Tigers .306
Runs batted in
- 1 Ryoya KuriharaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks 118
- 2 Kensuke KondohFukuoka SoftBank Hawks 108
- 3 Teruaki SatoHanshin Tigers 106
Pitching leaders
ERA
- 1 Kaima TairaSaitama Seibu Lions 1.36
- 2 Shoki MurakamiHanshin Tigers 1.85
- 3 Haruto TakahashiHanshin Tigers 1.87
Strikeouts
- 1 Hiroto SaikiHanshin Tigers 175
- 2 Kosei ShojiTohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 171
- 3 Hiromi ItohHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 159
Saves
- 1 Raidel MartinezYomiuri Giants 42
- 2 Kazuki SugiyamaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks 35
- 2 Rikuto YokoyamaChiba Lotte Marines 35
NPB news
More NPB news
Japanese baseball at the highest level
NPB is widely seen as the strongest league outside MLB. Stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki played in NPB before moving to the majors, and every season the league produces new players that MLB clubs watch closely. Packed ballparks, cheering sections with trumpets and drums, and teams owned by big companies make NPB a unique experience.
How the NPB season works
Each of the 12 clubs plays 143 regular-season games, mostly against teams from its own league plus a short interleague period. In 2026 the regular season ran from March 27 to October 8. Games can end in a tie after 12 innings, so the standings show ties as well as wins and losses.
Climax Series and Japan Series
The top three teams in each league reach the Climax Series. In the First Stage the second- and third-placed teams play a best-of-three series; the winner meets the pennant winner in the Final Stage, where the league champion starts with a one-win advantage. The two Climax Series winners then play the best-of-seven Japan Series. In 2026, the Hanshin Tigers won the Central League pennant and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks the Pacific League pennant.
Frequently asked questions
How many games are in an NPB season?
Each team plays 143 regular-season games.
How many teams are in NPB?
Twelve: six in the Central League and six in the Pacific League.
How do the NPB playoffs work?
The top three teams in each league play the Climax Series: a best-of-three First Stage, then a Final Stage in which the pennant winner starts with a one-win advantage. The two league winners meet in the best-of-seven Japan Series.
Who won the last Japan Series?
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the 2025 Japan Series, beating the Hanshin Tigers 4-1.
Standings, schedule and stats update automatically several times a day. Data: Nippon Professional Baseball (npb.jp).
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