After the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won their second consecutive Pacific League pennant on September 27, team chairman Sadaharu Oh's comments underscored the Hawks' relentless pursuit of excellence.
"We struggled more than last year, but our depth has grown accordingly," Oh said after the Hawks' 4-1 road win over the Saitama Seibu Lions, according to Jiji Press. "This gives us hope for the future. The team is becoming stronger year by year, united as one."
In the 2024 NPB season, SoftBank won the PL regular-season title with a 91-49-3 record and advanced to the Japan Series. In manager Hiroki Kokubo's first season at the helm, the Hawks fell to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the six-game championship series.
Kokubo's club finished 13½ games ahead of the second-place Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters in the standings last season.
This season, the gap is considerably closer. SoftBank (85-52-4) entered October with two games remaining to wrap up its 143-game season before the playoffs. And the second-place Fighters (83-56-3) have clinched another PL Climax Series berth.
Nipponham will face the third-place Orix Buffaloes in the first stage of the PL Climax Series, and SoftBank will face the winner in the final round.
The Hawks held the slimmest of advantages against Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo's club this season, winning 13 of 25 games.
Clearly, both clubs have challenged each other in their spirited duel since the spring.
"Manager Shinjo and the Fighters have been such a strong team, we really fought to make it an exciting and memorable battle for the Pacific League pennant, right to the very end," Kokubo was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
Chief Strengths of the SoftBank Hawks
The Hawks lead the Pacific League in team batting (.256) and are second in runs scored (536).
Their pitching staff has the lowest ERA (2.40) and leads the league in strikeouts (1,107).
Indeed, it's a winning combination: clutch hitting and dynamic pitching.
Sadayuki Sakakibara, the commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball, delivered a sharp analysis of the Hawks' overall success this season.
The Hawks have "a stable pitching staff, versatile offense incorporating speed and Manager Kokubo's leadership uniting it all," Sakakibara was quoted as saying by Jiji Press. "This league championship was won through comprehensive strength."
That said, hard work and a dash of good fortune helped the Hawks achieve their first goal of 2025. And after winning the pennant, two more goals remain: reaching the Japan Series and repeating as champs.
"It was an especially tough season, and without everyone's efforts, we couldn't have achieved our second consecutive championship," Kokubo said on September 27, according to Kyodo News. "Everyone was exhausted, but we were determined to finish the title race today."
Kokubo is blessed to have four double-digit winners in his starting rotation.
Southpaw starter Livan Moinelo, in his ninth season in a Hawks uniform, is 12-3, including two shutouts, and a PL-best 1.46 ERA. He's struck out 172 batters and issued 42 walks in 167 innings. The Cuban has given up only 112 hits.
Tomohisa Ozeki (13-5, 1.66 ERA), Kohei Arihara (13-9, 3.14), and Naoyuki Uwasawa (12-6, 2.78) have thrived as starters in 2025.
SoftBank Hawks Have a Top-Notch Bullpen
A trio of talented relievers spearheads the Hawks' bullpen corps.
Setup men Yuki Matsumoto (5-2, 1.07 ERA, 39 holds) and Koya Fujii (2-3, 1.44, 19 holds) have been crucial to the team's success.
Closer Kazuki Sugiyama is tied for the PL lead in saves (30) and has appeared in 64 games. He had one save in 2024 while primarily serving as a setup man.
In 2025, Sugiyama's make-them-swing-and-miss pitching ability has been impressive. He has 83 strikeouts in 63 innings.
Key Hitters for the Pacific League Champs
Infielder Taisei Makihara leads the PL in batting (.301). Teammate Tatsuru Yanagimachi, an outfielder, is second (.293). Both players appeared in less than 80 games in 2024, but have made key contributions while playing more than 120 games apiece this year.
After smacking 34 home runs in 2024, his first season with the Hawks, former Lions slugger Hotaka Yamakawa is once again the team leader in round-trippers (22).
In fact, Yamakawa is the only Hawk with 20 or more homers.
He isn't happy, however, with his overall performance this season, without needing to cite his disappointing .225 batting average.
"Nothing went right this season," Yamakawa stated, according to Jiji Press. "I'm not satisfied with my performance. The only thing I can commend myself for is facing my struggles head-on."
Utilizing Speed to Generate Offense
Speed, as the NPB commish noted above, is one of the Hawks' key traits on offense. And it's an important part of the team's ability to manufacture runs.
Ukyo Shuto is No 1 in the PL in stolen bases (35). Entering October 2025, he has 230 career stolen bases, reminding everyone that he's one of NPB's premier theft artists ― and a never-ending headache for opposing pitchers.
Shuto expressed pride in his team for its unified determination to win the pennant.
"It was a nail-biter until the very end, but I'm relieved we won the [league] championship," Shuto said, according to Jiji Press. "Everyone, from veterans to rookies, pulled together to get us here."
In addition to Shuto, Isami Nomura (18 stolen bases) and Makihara (12) are among the team leaders in this category.
Nomura, like a number of teammates, has capitalized on a significant increase in playing time this season. He's already played in 124 games (through September 30). In 2024, he appeared in only 38 games.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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