Will they defend their title or win it for the first time? Four top pitcher are competing for the most strike out. What will the outcome be? | Pacific League

Last season, pitcher Imai won the title by a long shot, but will there be a fierce battle this season?

As August began, the race for strike out title was heating up. As of the end of the games on August 11th, pitcher Hiromi Ito had recorded 138 strike out, the most in the league, followed by pitcher Tatsuya Imai who won the most strike out title in 2024, and Moinelo pitcher had 134 strike out each. Furthermore, pitcher Hiroya Miyagi has recorded 121 strike out closing in on the top three.

Last season, Imai won the most strike out title by beating second-place pitcher pitcher by 26 strikeouts, but this season it looks like a fierce battle will unfold right up to the end of the season. In this article, we’ll take a look at the monthly performance of each pitcher since 2024, when pitcher becomes a starter, and look ahead to the future course of the title race from the perspective of recent trends. (Note: Records are as of the end of the game on August 11th.)

pitcher Hiromi Ito (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham)pitcher Hiromi Ito monthly pitcher performance in 2024 ©PLM

In 2024, he pitched well as the opening pitcher, striking out nine strike out six innings, and continued to record above-average strike out rates of 8.65 in April and 8.68 in June. However, there were also months when strike out rate dropped, to 4.74 in May and 6.23 in July, so it could be said that strike out rate in the first half of the season was somewhat inconsistent.

However, his strike out pace improved significantly from August onwards, and he recorded strike out innings pitched for three consecutive months. In the end, he recorded 161 strike out, second only to pitcher in the league, and strike out rate for the year was 8.22, his first time recording a rate in the 8s since his rookie year.

pitcher Hiromi Ito monthly pitcher performance in 2025 ©PLM

In April of 2025, Ito recorded 43 strike out in five games, achieving a high strike out rate of 10.46. Like the previous year, his struck out rate dipped slightly in May to 6.68, but strike out strike out improved in June, consistently increasing to an 8.53 strike out rate. He continued to steadily strike out struck out July and August, a trend consistent with last year, making Ito pitcher most anticipated for future strike out shows. With a league-leading 138.2 innings pitched pitched at the moment, he has a good chance of winning another title after winning two pitcher titles last season.

pitcher Tatsuya Imai (Saitama Seibu)Tatsuya Imai pitcher monthly pitcher performance in 2024 ©PLM

In 2024, starting with his first season opener pitcher with an excellent pitch of 11 strike out in seven innings, he made four starts in three consecutive months from April to June, all of which were better strike out than innings pitched. In July, he continued to take struck out at an outstandingly high pace, with an impressive strike out rate of 11.65.

In August, the number of strike out s fell below innings pitched for the first time in the season, but it was still above a certain level with 33 strike out s for the month and a strike out rate of 8.57. In September, when the season reached its climax, he again posted an excellent strike out rate of 10.64, and his overall strike out rate for the year was 9.71, a high level worthy of winning the title.

Tatsuya Imai pitcher monthly pitcher performance in 2025 ©PLM

In 2025, the team took 32 struck out in four games in April for a strike out rate of 9.60, and again dominated pitch in May with 43 strike out for the month and a strike out rate of 10.46. And in June, he took 32 struck out with only 19.2 inning and a truly dominant strike out rate of 14.64.

In July, he was out of shape with a strike out rate of 7.80 and a ERA rate of 5.40, but on August 7, he showed a return to form with 11 strike out in 7 innings. As of now, he is strike out producing at a rate of 10.25 strike out more than last season, so there are high expectations that he will win the title for the second year in a row.

pitcher Liván Moinelo (Fukuoka Softbank)Moinelo pitcher monthly pitcher performance in 2024 ©PLM

In 2024, his first year as a starter, he started the season with a modest 4 strike out in 8 innings, but strike out rate gradually strike out to 8.28 in April and 9.00 in May. He then showed truly dominant pitch in June with strike out rate of 11.33 and ERA of 0.67, earning him his first monthly MVP award.

strike out rate dropped slightly in the summer, from 8.04 in July to 6.67 in August, but he recorded an excellent 9.45 in September. strike out struck out for the year was also an excellent 8.56, proving that this powerful arm, who racked up a mountain of strike out as a reliever, can also strike out out struck out at a consistent pace as a starter.

Moinelo pitcher monthly pitcher performance in 2025 ©PLM

In 2025, the team took 36 struck out in 5 games in April, for a strike out rate of 10.02, a great number; in May, the strike out rate was 6.83, a turnaround from the strike out pace, but in June, the team took 42 struck out in 30 inning, for a strike out rate of 12.60, again showing a great ability to take struck out.

On August 10 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, he had an epic pitching duel with Ito pitcher, but with 13 strike out and 9 complete game innings, he has shown further growth, overcoming the stamina issues that were an issue last year. He is hoping to win his first and most strike out title.

In 2024, he opened the year pitcher with an impressive pitch of 9 strike out in 6.1 innings, and in April, he recorded 36 struck out in 4 games for a strike out rate of 10.13. However, he then made only one appearance in two consecutive months, partly due to a breakdown, and only managed to add eight strike out in total.

Still, he produced two more months with a strike out rate of 11.58 in July and 10.80 in September, surpassing his strike out rate of 10.00 on two occasions after returning from his injury. Finally, he posted an strike out rate of 8.83, his best figure since becoming a fixture in the starting rotation, showing his steady growth as a pitcher

In 2025, he pitched well, striking out seven strike out eight innings in the opening game, and has recorded strike out rate of 9.00 or higher for four consecutive months since April. In particular, he recorded 32 struck out in 27 inning in July, posting an impressive strike out rate of 10.67, and his career strike out rate is now 9.33, higher than last season.

Following last season, he had strike out rate above the 10s in July, so if this trend continues, we can expect strike out numbers to increase in September as well. His removal from the first-team roster on August 8th is a cause for concern, but will he be able to recover from this and make a strong charge towards the end of the season that will lead to a title contender?

A summer of attention with both the battle for standings and the title

pitcher Ito and pitcher Imai, who are currently in the top two strike out rate rankings, have both improved their pace in strike out since the summer of 2024. Given their track record in the summer, which can be a difficult time for starter, both pitcher are likely to be the favorites to win the title.

In addition, attention will be focused on whether Moinero pitcher, who is in his second year as a starter, will be able to overcome the summer that he suffered last season, and whether Miyagi pitcher will build a mountain of strike out after August, which is his original specialty. Why not pay attention to the title battle between the league’s leading pitcher until the end of this season?

Text: Ryota Mochizuki