Last season's performance by Fukuoka Softbank Hawks eloquently demonstrated the importance of performance during interleague play.

The 2026 'Nippon Life Central-Pacific League Interleague' concluded with Saitama Seibu Lions winning the championship. Looking back at the most recent example, Fukuoka Softbank, who won the interleague in 2025, maintained strong form after the league resumed and ultimately came from behind to win the championship. These cases highlight the importance of interleague play, but what is the actual correlation between the results at the end of interleague play and the final standings?

This time, we review the standings of each team at the end of interleague play over the past five years since 2021 Pacific League, as well as the final results for each season. Let's focus on the results of teams that were in the A class at the end of interleague play, and consider the trends that can be seen from actual results.

2021年

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, who were in first place at the end of the interleague series, faltered somewhat in the second half of the season, but ultimately secured third place and maintained their position in the A-class. On the other hand, Fukuoka Softbank who were in second place at the end of the interleague series and within striking distance of winning the league title for the second consecutive year, struggled afterward and finished in fourth place in the B-class.

Orix Buffaloes was in third place at the end of the interleague series, steadily climbed standings and won a fierce championship battle against Chiba Lotte Marines, achieving their first league championship in 25 years. Of the three teams that were in the top three at the end of the interleague series, two maintained their top three positions in the final standings.

2022年

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles was in first place at the end of the interleague series, just like the previous year, but unlike the previous year, their performance dropped significantly afterward, and they fell to fourth place. In stark contrast, Fukuoka Softbank, which was in second place at the end of the interleague series, just like the previous year, did not repeat the same mistake and ultimately finished in second place, with no games behind the leader.

The Saitama Seibu Lions, who were in third place after the interleague games, also competed for the championship until the very end of the season, and ultimately secured third place, maintaining their standings in the A-class. Not only did two out of the three teams finish in the A-class, but the fact that both teams competed for the championship until the very end of the season is also noteworthy.

2023年

Orix Buffaloes were in first place in the league at the end of the interleague series, continued to dominate the top spot and achieved the remarkable feat of winning the league title for the third consecutive year without relinquishing their lead. Fukuoka Softbank and Chiba Lotte Marines, both of whom were in the top three at the end of the interleague series, also fought their way through the season's final games to secure a place in the top three.

In other words, all three teams that were in the top three at the end of the interleague series also ended up in the top three in the final standings. Furthermore, although the second-place Chiba Lotte Marines and the third-place Fukuoka Softbank swapped standings after the interleague series, the difference between the two teams in games was zero, indicating a very close competition.

2024年

Fukuoka Softbank, who were in first place in the league at the end of the interleague series, continued their steady performance and safely reclaimed the championship for the first time in four years. Chiba Lotte Marines, who were in second place at the end of the interleague series, saw their performance decline after the summer, but ultimately held on to finish in third place, maintaining their position in the top three.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, which was in third place at the end of the interleague series, continued to improve its performance and ultimately moved up one standings finish in second place. All three teams that were in the top three at the end of the interleague series remained in the top three in the final standings, with only the second and third place teams swapping standings—a result that is remarkably similar to the previous year.

2025年

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, who were in first place at the end of the interleague series, showed a strong performance that kept their championship hopes alive until the very end of the season. Although they narrowly missed out on the championship, they finished in second place for the second consecutive year. Orix Buffaloes, who were in second place at the end of the interleague series, struggled somewhat afterward, but ultimately finished in third place, achieving a respectable level of success in their first year under a new manager.

Fukuoka Softbank regained their form during the interleague series, standings to third place, and continued to fiercely pursue the top spot after the league season resumed. They won a close race against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, securing their second consecutive league championship. While there were significant changes in standings within the top three teams compared to the previous two seasons, this marks the third consecutive year that all teams that were in the top three at the end of the interleague series have maintained their top-three positions.

Whether the same trend as the past five seasons will continue this season remains to be seen, so we'll have to keep a close eye on each team's performance going forward.

As described above, among the 15 teams that were in the A class at the end of interleague play over the past five years, 13 teams were also in the final standings. Furthermore, in the last three seasons since 2023, all teams that were in the A-class at the end of interleague play have maintained their A-class status in the final season results.

On the other hand, there have been only two cases in five years where a team that was first at the end of interleague play went on to win the championship, indicating that there were many standings fluctuations within the A class. On the other hand, although Orix Buffaloes in 2021 and 2022 and Fukuoka Softbank in 2025 struggled early in the season, they made a significant leap in the second half and won the championship from behind.

Notably, the 2022 Orix Buffaloes won the final match of the season, despite only three short days at the top. In 2021, the previous year, Chiba Lotte Marines, who were in fourth place at the end of interleague play, showed such a strong comeback that they once lit the championship magic number, and some teams showed explosive strength in the latter half of the season.

As in the past three seasons, will the team that was in the A-class at the end of interleague play ultimately retain its A-class spot? Or, as in Chiba Lotte Marines 2021 and Orix Buffaloes in 2022, will there be teams that make a strong comeback after the league resumes and climb to the top? We encourage you to keep an eye on whether this trend that has continued over the past five years will continue.

Text by Ryota Mochizuki