The 2026 Persol Climax Series Pacific League will open at Belluna Dome on the 10th. The Climax Series began in 2007 and marks its 20th year this season. We would like to look back at the history of the battles among the six Pacific League teams over the past 19 years.

Fukuoka Softbank has the highest number of games, while Saitama Seibu Lions struggle in the CS.

Over the past 19 years, the number of games played by each team is led by Fukuoka Softbank with 76 games, followed by Hokkaido Nippon-Ham with 55 games, Chiba Lotte Marines with 48 games, Seibu Lions with 32 games, Rakuten Eagles with 23 games, and Orix Buffaloes with 18 games.

Fukuoka Softbank has won the league 8 times and finished in the A-class 16 times over the 19-year period since 2007, accumulating 76 games of CS experience. They advanced to the Japan Series in 9 out of those 16 instances, and in their championship years, they broke through the CS in 7 out of 8 attempts. Since 2011, they have advanced through the CS in every year they won the league; will they reach the Japan Series again with such overwhelming strength?

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham has 4 championships and 11 A-class finishes, recording 55 games, the second most after Fukuoka Softbank. While they have no experience with an "upset" from a lower seed, they fought hard to a 3-3 tie against Fukuoka Softbank last year. The Chiba Lotte Marines, with the third-highest number of games, have not won a championship since 2007 but have finished in the A-class 9 times. Excluding 2020 when there was no first baseman stage, they advanced to the Final Stage in 6 out of 8 opportunities, which increased their total to 48 games.

The Seibu Lions, making their first CS appearance in four years this season, have 3 championships and 10 A-class finishes (though the 3rd place team did not participate in the CS in 2020 due to the pandemic), but they struggle in short series with a CS winning percentage of .281. Although they have experienced the first baseman stage 6 times, they only advanced to the Final Stage once, in 2011. To reach the Japan Series for the first time since 2008, they first hope to break through the first baseman stage.

Yuki Yanagita demonstrates strength even in short-term series: Career batting statistics

From here, let's look at individual career stats in the CS. As mentioned earlier, the number of games played depends on team performance, so Fukuoka Softbank players naturally appear more frequently. Among them, Yuki Yanagita, who has appeared in a Pacific League-leading 54 games among active players, ranks first in four categories with 57 hit, 28 Walk, 36 RBI, and 10 Home Run. Expectations are high once again for this veteran who has long been active on the front lines.

On the other hand, looking at batting average among players with at least 50 At Bat, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham's Chusei Mannami has performed well with a .360 average over two years. For the Softbank Hawks, Kensuke Kondo and Hotaka Yamakawa have both recorded averages in the .300s. Yamakawa in particular has hit a Home Run every year he has appeared in the Final Stage, including three Home Run in 2024, bringing his total to 8 Home Run in 23 career games.

The highest number of stolen base is 7 by Tsuyoshi Nishioka, while among active Pacific League players, Haruki Nishikawa and Takuya Nakashima lead with 5 stolen base. Surprisingly, Ukyo Shuto, who won the stolen base title for four consecutive years, remains at 2 stolen base. With a career on-base percentage of .231, the low number of times he becomes a runner may be a factor. Additionally, Kotaro Kiyomiya has recorded 4 stolen base in the CS. Attention should also be paid to Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo's "strategies."

Kohei Arihara and Moinelo have the most wins among active players with 4 wins. pitcher career statistics.

On the other hand, among pitcher, Kohei Arihara pitcher and Moinelo pitcher have the most wins among active players and are tied for 3rd all-time with 4 wins. The all-time record holder is Kenichi Nakata, who currently serves as a first-team pitcher coach, with 6 wins. It remains to be seen if they can extend their records in this Persol CS Pacific League.

Regarding saves, Hitoki Iwase of Chunichi holds the record with 10S, while in the Pacific League, Sarfate (8S) and Yuito Mori (7S) are among the top. We look forward to seeing new closers establish records in the future. The record for hold is 8H, held by Tetsuya Yamaguchi of The Giants. Among active Pacific League players, Nao Miyanishi pitcher and Yuki Matsumoto pitcher are tied with 6H.

Furthermore, in terms of strike out, Kodai Senga, currently of the New York Mets, overwhelms others with 84 strike out in 12 games. There is a significant gap of 36 between him and 2nd place Takayuki Kishi pitcher. Will a new "Doctor K" emerge to dominate the CS in the future?

The post-season is finally beginning. Will a new hero emerge?

In short-term decisive battles, not only must the pitchers defend, but it is also common for a "lucky boy" to emerge among the fielders. Last season, Reyes performed well with a .481 batting average, and Tatsuru Yanagimachi with a .417 batting average. For Seibu Lions, who are appearing in the CS for the first time since 2022, there are many players making their first postseason appearance. It will be interesting to see what kind of players will become heroes this season.

Furthermore, due to the new rules introduced this season, Fukuoka Softbank has a 2-win advantage in this Final Stage, making it a best-of-five wins system. Will Fukuoka Softbank, in an overwhelmingly advantageous position, advance as they are, or will the opponent push back? The battle of the 20th year of the Climax Series begins.

Text by Minagi Niwa