Tokyo Yakult, led by Triple Crown winner Munetaka Murakami, is favored to repeat as NPB champion but Orix is peaking at the right time.
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows infielder went 13 games without a homer before completing the season in style with a solo blast in the seventh inning.
The Swallows cleanup hitter, at the tender age of 22, matches legendary slugger Sadaharu Oh and sets his sights on the single-season home run record.
Japan’s most popular professional baseball team is in a malaise that has seen it drop as low as fifth in the Central League standings.
The red-hot BayStars languished in the bottom half of the standings for most of the season before making a big turnaround.
Yomiuri puts an end to 14-series win streak by Yakult, but still finds itself well back of its crosstown rival.
The 42-year-old lefty continues to impress for the high-flying Swallows.
Insights on Roki Sasaki’s rising fame, other young stars to keep an eye on, Yoshihisa Hirano’s brilliant career as a closer, and much more.
The 20-year-old phenom struggled with his control en route to his first loss of the season.
The Hanshin Tigers pitcher excelled on the mound and at the plate in a recent big win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are hoping the veteran infielder can get back into the swing of things down on the farm.
Tigers slugger Teruaki Sato, Giants rookie closer Taisei Ota and Marines catcher Ko Matsukawa are shining for their respective teams.