Opening pitcher, notable fielder, promising young players, milestone records… Who are the notable players from the six Pacific League teams? | Pacific League

Will this season be a match race between Fukuoka Softbank and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham?

In the 2025 Pacific League, Fukuoka Softbank and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham played a fierce battle, with Fukuoka Softbank winning the league championship and Japan’s top spot. Attention is focused on whether the two teams will compete for the championship again this season, or whether another team will make a breakthrough.

This time, we will introduce the candidates for opening pitcher for each Pacific League team in 2026, as well as fielder who are expected to perform particularly well. In addition, we will also look at young players who are expected to grow further in the new season and various records that are expected to be achieved this season.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham

This season, Pacific League six teams were the first to announce their opening pitcher, and it has been decided that pitcher Hiromi Ito will be entrusted with the important role for the second time in two years. Attention will be focused on whether this reliable ace, who has been the most victorious for two consecutive years, can give the team, which is aiming for the championship, momentum from the opening game.

Among fielder, keep an eye on Yuya Gunji. Last season, he was just 21 at-bats short of the required number of at-bats, but he played in 111 games and posted a solid batting average of .297, Home Run, and an OPS of .799. Reyes, who won the double crown of Home Run and RBI, is expected to further improve his scoring ability depending on the performance of the players supporting him, so we can look forward to seeing Gunji, who also batted fourth in the postseason, continue to improve.

One young player worth keeping an eye on is 22-year-old pitcher Taisei Yanagawa. He made a name for himself in 2024, pitching in 21 games and earning eight saves. In 2025, he dominated pitch with nine hold points, 11 saves, ERA of 1.02, and strike out rate of 10.95 in 37 games. While injury prevented him from pitching in the final stages of last season, if he can complete the season without injury, he has the potential to become a dominant reliever.

In terms of records, we have high hopes for the two players returning to their old teams. Nishikawa Haruki is 74 hits away from 1,500 hit and 7 stolen base away from 350 career bases. pitcher Kohei Arihara Kohei is 2 wins away from 100 career strike out away from 1,000 career strikeouts, so both are within reach of multiple records. Furthermore, Yamazaki pitcher is 60.1 innings away from 1,000 innings pitched pitched, and Nao Miyanishi pitcher is 26 away from achieving the unprecedented feat of 450 hold.

Tohoku Rakuten

Northeast Rakuten Eagles is in urgent need to establish a pillar of its starting lineup in 2025 Pacific League with the absence of pitcher, the only one of the six teams to reach the innings pitched regulation. It will be interesting to see if Takahisa Hayakawa pitcher, who is returning from an injury, will play a major role for the third year in a row, or if Masaru Fujii pitcher, Tatsuki Koja pitcher, Takayuki Kishi pitcher and others will get their chance.

fielder In the first round of the tournament, the 24-year-old Daisuke Nakashima player has settled into the No. 1 hitter spot and has played 124 games, reaching the regulation batting lineup and hitting .266 with 6 Home Run and 22 stolen base. Another 24-year-old Fumiya Kurokawa player, also 24 years old, has also improved his batting average to .299, on-base percentage to .372, and OPS to .745 in 83 games, and has developed to the point where he can play a part in the cleanup lineup. Whether both players can further evolve will likely be a factor in the future of the team.

Hideto Asamura The player is closing in on two rare records: he is 140 away from reaching 3,500 bases with 31 previous accomplishments, and he is 23 away from reaching 1,000 Walk, also with 18 previous accomplishments. Daichi Suzuki Players are also on the verge of achieving multiple records, with 4 remaining to reach 150 Hit by Pitch with only 5 players having achieved the feat, and 16 remaining to reach 300 doble with 18 players having achieved the feat.

Saitama Seibu

With Tatsuya Imai pitcher served as the opening pitcher for two consecutive years, moving to the Astros, attention is focused on who will be the new pitcher to take on the important role. Chihiro Sumida pitcher recorded his first double-digit win, is the favorite, while Takahashi pitcher who has served as the opening pitcher for three consecutive years since 2021, could be a contender.

Among fielder, 26-year-old Manaya Nishikawa reached the required number of at-bats for the first time, batting .264 with 10 Home Run stolen base as the leadoff batter, and frequently saved the team in center fielder defense. 22-year-old Natsuo Takizawa also played in 125 games and showed outstanding defense ability in the second and shortstop positions, so it’s well worth keeping an eye on the developments of these talented center fielder fielders.

In terms of records, Takeya Nakamura is 19 home runs away from reaching 500 Home Run, a feat only eight players have achieved in the past, putting him within reach if he makes a comeback. Furthermore, Shuta Tonosaki is four hits away from reaching 1,000 hit, Sosuke Genda is 20 bases away from reaching 200 stolen base, and Ginjiro Sumitani is four bases away from reaching 250 sacrifice bunt. Players who have supported the team are closing in on milestone records.

Chiba Lotte Marines

The leading candidate for the opening day pitcher is pitcher Atsuki Taneichi, who led the team with nine wins last season, but there are concerns that he may be slow to prepare as he has been selected to represent Japan in the WBC. With pitcher Kazuya Ojima who has been the opening day pitcher for three consecutive years since 2023, also on the waiting list, attention will be focused on what new manager Saburo decides to do.

Among fielder, 25-year-old Kyota Fujiwara reached the required number of at-bats for the first time, batting .271, on-base percentage .335, and stolen base 15 bases, making him a great opportunity maker. Among the young players, 20-year-old Ryusei Terachi has secured the position of starting catcher in just his second year since graduating from high school, and 22-year-old Misho Nishikawa Shisho also recorded a batting average of .281, sixth in the league, and was named Rookie of the Year, so we can look forward to seeing even more of these young talents emerge this season.

In terms of records, pitcher Naoya Masuda is two saves away from reaching 250 career saves to join the Hall of Fame, and 31 away from reaching 800 career games, a feat only eight players have achieved. Also, Tatsuhiro Tamura is 10 away from reaching 1,000 career games, Hiromi Oka is 62 away from reaching 1,000 career games, Soto is five away from reaching 200 Home Run, pitcher is 76.1 away from innings pitched pitched, and Shuta Ishikawa is 74.2 away from innings pitched pitcher.

Orix

Hiroya Miyagi pitcher who has been the opening pitcher for two consecutive years since 2024, also had an excellent ERA of 2.39 last season. Considering pitcher ‘s burden in the WBC, it seems likely that Alen Kuri, who recorded 11 wins in his first year with the team, the only pitcher on the team to have double-digit win, will be tasked with starting the pitcher for the second time since 2024 when he was with Hiroshima.

Among fielder, Ryoma Nishikawa was leading the hitter title race with a batting average of .310 until the final stages of the season, but was forced to withdraw due to injury with 31 at-bats remaining. Young player Ryo Ota also showed great performance, topping the league batting average rankings at one point, recording a batting average of .283, 10 Home Run, and 52 RBI in 113 games, so it will be interesting to see if both players can make another run at the title.

In terms of records, pitcher Yoshihisa Hirano is one strikeout away from reaching 1,000 strike out, and player Yutaro Sugimoto is one home run away from reaching 100 career Home Run, meaning that these two key players who helped the team win three consecutive league championships are on the verge of reaching these milestone records. Additionally, pitcher Kuri is also 75.2 inning away from innings pitched, and is expected to achieve this milestone this season.

Fukuoka Softbank

Whether Moinero pitcher, who won the Best ERA for the second year in a row and the Pacific League MVP, will serve as the opening pitcher will largely depend on the influence of the WBC’s adjustments. Although pitcher Arihara, who won the most wins for two consecutive years, has transferred, Tomohisa Ozeki pitcher, who won the title with the highest winning percentage with 13 wins and 5 losses, and Naoyuki Uwasawa pitcher, who won 12 wins, which pitcher will play a major role?

In fielder, Taisei Makihara became the only player in the league to record a batting average of 30% or more after reaching the required hitter at-bat, and showed an outstanding performance by winning his first title hitter. As a super utility that can play the inside outfield according to the team’s circumstances, I hope that they will show a dynamic performance that supports The Hawks both offensively and defensively this season.

As a junior, the 24-year-old Haru Matsumoto pitcher pitched 6-2 hold with a 2.76 ERA and a ERA ERA in 29 games, serving as both a starter and a reliever. As he has greatly proven that he can respond to a wide range of roles as a valuable left-hander, it would not be surprising if he has become even more important to the team this season.

In terms of records, Kenta Imamiya has 88 runs left until 1500 hit, and Kensuke Kondo is also approaching 121 hit 1500 career runs. In addition, Yuki Yanagita players have 1500 games left until 30 appearances, and 30 doble remaining until 10 career appearances. Hotaka Yamakawa players have 83 hit left to reach 1000 Home Run and 25 to 300 , and the two main hitter have captured multiple records within range.

Following last season’s fierce battle, will this year’s race be as fierce?

Will Fukuoka Softbank, which is aiming for its third consecutive league championship, show its strength again this season, or will Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and the other five teams wait it out? Just as last season, when we could not take our eyes off the action until the final game of the Climax Series, we can look forward to a hotly contested season at Pacific League in 2026.