Ryoya Kurihara, Kensuke Kondo, and Reyes are competing fiercely against each other.

As the 2026 regular season enters its final stages, the battle for individual titles is reaching its climax. In this season's Pacific League, three players—Ryoya Kurihara, Kensuke Kondo, and Reyes—are ranked high in the three major batting categories, and future developments are drawing significant attention.

This time, based on various indicators recorded by the three aforementioned players in this season's Pacific League, we will introduce the characteristics and prowess of each player. In addition, by looking at each player's monthly performance, we would like to provide an outlook for the upcoming title race.

※Stats are as of September 3rd

Indicators related to power hitting have improved dramatically, and improvements are also seen in plate discipline.

The annual metrics recorded by Kurihara to date are as follows.

This season's slugging percentage of .552 is about 10% higher than the career average of .456. In addition, regarding "ISO," which is said to show true power by removing the influence of single hits from the slugging percentage, this season's figure of .288 greatly exceeds the career average of .195, achieving a dramatic improvement as the undisputed league leader among those who reached the required number of plate appearances.

Furthermore, "IsoD," an indicator of plate discipline that shows the difference between on-base percentage and batting average, is at .096, which is also trending at a career-high level. Similarly, the "BB/K" indicator, which shows plate discipline and strike zone management ability, is .649, more than 10% higher than the career average, showing significant improvement not only in power but also in plate discipline.

As a result, the OPS is an excellent .912, ranking 3rd in the league, and overall, the performance is impeccable for a powerful hitter. The "AB/HR" indicator, which shows the number of At Bats required to hit one home run, has reached a league-leading 13.26, and the reasons for leading the league with 34 Home Runs and 98 RBIs can be seen from various statistics.

Ranked at the top in all three major categories

The annual metrics recorded by Kondo to date are as follows.

This season, he ranks high in all three major categories, with a .303 batting average (2nd in the league), 25 Home Runs (4th), and 92 RBI (2nd). While catching up to Kurihara, who leads by 9 Home Runs, may be difficult from this point, he still has a significant chance to win his second career batting title and RBI title.

Furthermore, he leads the league with a .425 on-base percentage this season, putting him in a strong position to claim his fifth highest on-base percentage title and first in two years. His slugging percentage is also an excellent .550 (3rd in the league), and his OPS is an outstanding .975, ranking 1st in the league. It is worth noting that he continues to produce extremely high-level results as usual, even as the league-wide trend of dominant pitching and low scoring persists.

Additionally, his plate discipline metrics are both 1st in the league, with an IsoD of .123 and a BB/K of 1.147, demonstrating his exceptional eye at the plate throughout the season. His AB/HR is also 16.52 (4th in the league), showing he is hitting Home Runs at a high pace. Various statistics clearly show that his total balance as a hitter is exceptionally superior.

Consistency has also significantly improved this season.

The annual metrics recorded by Reyes to date are as follows.

Last season, he won the double crown for Home Runs and RBI with 32 Home Runs and 90 RBI, but this season he has produced hits in abundance toward winning his third title, recording a league-leading 140 hits and a league-best .317 batting average. Also, like Kondo, Reyes ranks high in all three major categories with 29 Home Runs (2nd in the league) and 75 RBI (3rd in the league), leading the lineup as one of the league's top hitters.

Furthermore, his .379 on-base percentage and .571 slugging percentage are both career-high figures, and his OPS of .951 ranks 2nd in the league behind Kondo, recording high-level results. While the significant improvement in his consistency is drawing attention this season, it is clear that his traditional strengths as a power hitter continue to be demonstrated.

Although his AB/HR this season is 15.21, a slight decline compared to the past two seasons, the fact that he still ranks 3rd in the league is proof of his ability as a long-distance threat. While his IsoD has decreased compared to the previous year, his BB/K has reached a career-high .511, suggesting that his maturity as a hitter is steadily increasing.

It remains to be seen how the slump of Reyes, who had been delivering stable results, will affect the team moving forward.

Finally, I would like to look at the various monthly statistics recorded in 2026 by the three players featured this time.

Kurihara has recorded an OPS of .850 or higher for four consecutive months since May, and there were multiple months where he displayed a surge in production, such as 11 Home Runs and 26 RBI in May, and 9 Home Runs and 21 RBI in July. Since he has steadily accumulated Home Runs and RBI throughout the season, he will likely want to create another period of concentrated production in the remaining time to solidify his hold on the Home Run and RBI titles.

Kondo maintained high batting averages of .323 in June and .342 in July, while also recording an OPS of over 1.000 for two consecutive months starting in June. In addition to his stability in maintaining an OPS above .860 through August, it is interesting to note how he improved his form from the middle of the season onward. Although his performance dipped slightly in August compared to the previous two months, the focus is on whether he can once again display his overwhelming batting prowess as the season enters its final stages.

Reyes has recorded a monthly batting average of .310 or higher and an OPS of .890 or higher for three consecutive months since May, demonstrating improved consistency and excellent productivity as a hitter over a long period. While his slump in August with a .256 batting average is a concern, all eyes are on whether he can bounce back to widen the narrowing lead again and achieve the feat of winning all three major titles within the last two years.

The possibility of teammates sharing the title

In the past two seasons, Reyes had a strong character as a long-distance slugger, but this season he has significantly improved his batting average while maintaining productivity, becoming a more flawless hitter. Since this change is in contrast to Kondo, who evolved from a skilled hitter into a power hitter with excellent total balance after his transfer, it has become one of the topics making this season's title race even more interesting.

Which player will emerge victorious in the three-way title race that now includes Kurihara, who has awakened as a Japanese power hitter? The batting title race, where the gap has narrowed, remains unpredictable, and as for RBI, there is a strong possibility that the two Fukuoka Softbank teammates will share the title with the same record, so it looks like the situation will remain captivating in various aspects until the very end of the season.

Text by Ryota Mochizuki