NPB Players of the Month - March/April 2026 CENTRAL LEAGUE - PITCHER LHP Haruto Takahashi - Hanshin Tigers (1st time award winner) 4 starts 3 wins 0 losses 3 complete games 3 complete game shutouts 33 innings pitched 27 strikeouts 1 runs allowed 1 earned runs allowed 0.27 ERA CENTRAL LEAGUE - BATTER IF Teruaki Sato - Hanshin Tigers (4th time award winner) 27 games 101 official at-bats 38 hits .376 batting average 7 home runs 25 runs batted in .743 slugging percentage .444 on base percentage PACIFIC LEAGUE - PITCHER RHP Kaima Taira - Seibu Lions (1st time award winner) 5 starts 2 wins 0 losses 1 complete games 1 complete game shutouts 37 innings pitched 36 strikeouts 3 runs allowed 2 earned runs allowed 0.49 ERA PACIFIC LEAGUE - BATTER OF Kensuke Kondoh - SoftBank Hawks (4th time award winner) 26 games 89 official at-bats 26 hits .292 batting average 6 home runs 19 runs batted in .562 slugging percentage .425 on base percentage
Wednesday 13 May Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2026-05-13 Giants-Carp went 12 innings
Hayato Sakamoto crushed a first-pitch 3-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Yomiuri Giants a come-from-behind 4-2 Sayonara victory over the Hiroshima Carp at Fukui Prefectural Stadium. Sakamoto's 300th career home run - the 48th player in NPB history to reach the 300 mark - came a day after Shunsuke Sasaki had also hit a Sayonara home run. With both games taking place in regional ballparks, it marked the first time since 1962 that the Giants won back-to-back games at countryside venues (Gifu and Fukui) via sayonara hits. Hiroshima relief pitcher Shota Nakazaki pitched a scoreless 10th inning to records his 100th save and is now thw 10th player in NPB history to reach 100 holds and 100 saves. Nakazaki reached 100 Saves on 8 Aug 8 2018. The Yakult Swallows rallied for 3 runs in the 8th inning to defeat the Hanshin Tigers 4-2. Hanshin starter Haruto Takahashi had his 33 inning shutout streak halted with 1 out in the 1st inning but was dominant for the remaining 5-2/3 innings he pitched. He allowed 3 hits total with no walks while striking out 11 before being pinch hit for in the top of the 7th. He threw 97 pitches in all. At Hamasta the DeNA BayStars shutout the Chunichi Dragons 5-0. In just his second career start, rookie pitcher Shunya Shimada fanned 9 batters in just 68 pitches thrown over 6 innings of work. His performance included an immaculate 5th inning (3 strikeouts on 9 pitches), the first rookie pitcher in Central League history to accomplish the feat.
A determined Kona Takahashi tossed his second complete game of the season leading the Seibu Lions to a 2-1 win over the SoftBank Hawks. Takahashi gave up a solo home run to Pacific League Player of the Month Kensuke Kondoh but was stellar from then on, allowing just 3 hits (and 4 walks) with 4 strikeouts on 129 pitches. His season ERA is at 0.87 and he is now 4-0 in his 4 starts against the reigning Pacific League and Nippon Series champions. A day after being acquired in a trade with the BayStars, new arrival Yuudai Yamamoto suited up behind the plate and batted 6th in his Hawks debut. (He went 0-for-3) The roof was open at the Fukuoka Mizuho PayPay Dome, which only happens around 2-3 times a year due to high cost. The electricity used to move the 12,000-ton roof is about 200,000 yen while labor costs and various expenses are about 800,000 yen. Total for a one time opening is about 1 million yen ($6,000+). Then they have to close it. It was also scheduled to be opened on Tuesday but was kept closed due to rain in Fukuoka.
Thursday 14 May Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2026-05-14 BayStars-Dragons finished tied after 12 innings
The Rakuten Eagles snapped a 5 game losing streak with a 3-0 blanking of the Orix Buffaloes in Sendai. With runners on the corners Ryosuke Tatsumi hit a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 in the 1st inning. A 2-RBI single from Hikari Ōta added insurance runs in the 3rd. José Ureña, who bounced around MLB for 11 seasons before signing with the Eagles this year, pitched 6-1/3 shutout frames to pick up the win. Mishō Nishikawa singled home the opening run in the 1st inning and sent a crucial 6th inning insurance run into the left field seats to key a 5-3 victory for the Lotte Marines over the Nippon-Ham Fighters. Yuji Nishino tossed 8 gutsy innings on only 78 pitches to pick up his first win of the season. Daiki Asama and Kotaro Kiyomiya hit back-to-back solo home runs in the 9th but the Fighters attempted comeback fell short.
The DeNA Baystars and Chunich Dragons battled for 12 innings in a scoreless tie at Yokohama Stadium.. BayStars starting pitcher Taisei Irie fanned 9 batters over 6 innings while Dragons starter Kyle Muller allowed just 4 hits and no walks in 7 shutout frames. 12 relievers total were utilized by both teams (Yokohama used 7 to Chunichi's 5) to maintain the combined shutout. Reliever José Ruiz was ejected inthe 7th inning for hitting Dragons batter Ryuku Tsuchida in the helmet. Ruiz apparently didn't know about automatic ejections for hitting a player in the head - intentional or not - as he was seen holding up his hands in a "Why?" pose.
Sayonara of the Month - March/April 2026 Sponsored by SKY PerfecTV!, "Awarded to the players who hit the most impactful walk-off hit throughout the month." CENTRAL LEAGUE IF Kaito Muramatsui - Chunichi Dragons (1st time award winner) Friday 24 April Vantelin Dome, Nagoya Bottom of the 9th inning, Yakult Swallows lead 4-3. Seiya Hosokawa led off with a single to left field. Jason Vosler flied out to center field. Seiji Kawagoe doubled to left field, Hosokawa stopped at third base. Muramatsui - who was 0-for-3 having struck out twice - delivered a 1-0 breaking ball over the new "Home Run Wing" in right field, a new seating section introduced this season for a Sayonara home run. The win snapped a 6 game losing streak by the Dragons. It was Muramatsui's first career walk off hit. PACIFIC LEAGUE OF Kyota Fujiwara - Lotte Marines (1st time award winner) Friday 3 April ZOZO Marine Stadium, Chiba Bottom of the 9th inning, SoftBank Hawks lead 2-0. Closer Kazuki Sugiyama takes the mound for the Hawks. Neftali Soto led off with a single to left field. Atsuki Tomosugi struck out. Pinch hitter Daito Yamamoto drew a walk. Akito Takabe singles to left field scoring Soto. Hiromi Oka grounds out to shortstop. Fujiwara doubled a 0-1 fastball deep over the right fielder scoring Yamamoto and Takabe to complete the sayonara rally. It was Fujiwara's first career walk off hit.
Ryoji Kuribayashi tossed his second 1-hit complete game shutout of the year as the Hiroshima Carp downed the Hanshin Tigers 2-0 at Koshien Stadium. The closer-turned-starter gave up a single to Yusuke Ohyama in the 1st inning and walked Nozomu Takatera in the 9th for the only two base runners allowed while striking out 9 batters as he raised his record to 4-1. A solo home run from Elehuris Montero in the 4th inning was the only offense required to get the win although Kaito Kozono lashed a RBI single in the 6th for insurance. It was the first time the Tigers were shutout this season halting their 38 game streak without being shutout since Opening Day. The Yakult Swallows rallied for 3 runs in the 8th inning for an 8-5 comeback victory over the Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya. Domingo Santana went 3-for-3 including his 9th home run of the year that opened the scoring in the 1st inning. Yutaro Iteyama was 4-foir-5 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs for the Dragons. Trey Cabbage led off the 5th inning with his 7th bomb of the year as the Yomiuri Giants shutout the DeNA BayStars 2-0 at the Tokyo Dome.
Kaima Taira gave another outstanding pitching display throwing 7 scoreless innings as the Seibu Lions blanked the Nippon-=Ham Fighters Lions 3-0 at Es Con Field Hokkaido. The big right-hander allowed 2 hits and fanned 6 batters over 7 innings for his third win this season. Tyler Nevin's sacrifice fly in the 6th inning allowed Alexander Canario to tag up from third base for the game winning run. Shinya Hasegawa doubled home 2 insurance runs in the 7th to secure the win. Toshiya Satoh slugged his 6th dinger of the year and Misho Nishikawa hit a 3-run blast as the Lotte Marines defeated the Orix Buffaloes 6-3 at ZOZO Marine Stadium. Sam Long, in his debut season in Japan, made his first professional start since 2023 and pitched a decent 5 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 2 hits and3walks while striking out 2. He did not figure in the decision. Off the field, the Buffaloes announced that talented right-handed pitcher Shunpeita Yamashita elected to undergo right elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in the United States and will miss the 2026 campaign. Orix already lost ace lefty Hiroya Miyagi also to Tommy John surgery this season. Ryoya Kurihara's 11th home run of the season in a losing 6-3 effort by the SoftBank Hawks against the Rakuten Eagles.
Franmil Reyes went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs including a solo home run in the 8th inning that broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Nippon-Ham Fighters a tense 5-4 win over the Seibu Lions. Yuki Nomura also homered, a 2-run shot that gave the home team a 1st inning lead. Tyler Nevin continued his hot form with 2 more home runs for Seibu, his 5th and 6th bombs in only 13 games played this season. Natsuo Takizawa and Alexander Canario hit back-to-back homers for the Lions in the 3rd inning. For the 5' 4", 140-pound Takizawa it was just his second home run in 5 seasons. Satoshi Sato took over for the Lions original projected starter Chihiro Sumida who was a late scratch due to discomfort in his throwing left shoulder. The Rakuten Eagles survived a 9th inning rally to defeat the SoftBank Hawks 4-3. The Eagles flipped a 2-0 deficit with 3 runs in the 5th inning highlighted by a solo home run from Itsuki Murabayashi and a timely RBI double from Fumiya Kurokawa. Starting pitcher Tatsuki Koja delivered a strong performance for Rakuten allowing just 2 runs over 6 innings to earn his first victory of the season.
Shoki Murakami was one out away from a complete game shutout as the Hanshin Tigers staved off a 9th inning rally to defeat the Hiroshima Carp 3-1. Murakami threw 8-2/3 innings striking out 9 batters and allowing just 5 hits with no walks over 123 pitches. Teruaki Sato led Hanshin with 2 RBIs including a solo home run in the 4th, number 11 which ties him for first on the NPB home run leaderboard. The Yomiuri Giants extended their winning streak to 5 games following their 4-3 comeback win over the DeNA BayStars. Americans Trey Cabbage and Bobby Dalbec each drove in a run with Dalbec's fielder's choice RBI in the 7th inning being the game winner. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo homered for the third time this season for the BayStars.
A 3-run home run from team captain Neftali Soto in the 6th inning was the difference as the Lotte Marines held on to defeat the Orix Buffaloes 3-2 in Makuhari, Chiba. Second year pitcher Koshiro Hiroike delivered a stellar performance allowing just one run and striking out 5 over 7 innings to earn his first win of the year. Ryo Ohta hit his third home run this season for the Buffaloes who had a runner in scoring position with one out in the 9th inning but were unable to get the game tying hit. The Seibu Lions flipped a 2-1 deficit in the 7th inning by scoring 4 runs en route to a 6-3 win over the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Kitahiroshima. The rally with two outs included 4 consecutive hits, two of which were 2-run home runs from pinch hitter Junichiro Kishi and Tyler Nevin. For Nevin, who didn't make his season debut until May 1 because of injury, it was his third bomb this weekend and he now has 7 home runs in only 14 games played. Allan Winans pitched well in his NPB debut for the Lions allowing only 2 runs and recording 6 strikeouts for his first win in Japan. The victory coupled with the Buffaloes loss means the Lions leapfrog their way to first place in the Pacific League. Ryoya Kurihara went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs including a 2-run home run as the SoftBank Hawks eased past the Rakuten Eagles 5-1. Kurihara's 1st inning blast was his 12th of the year, tops in NPB. Starting pitcher Yugo Maeda allowed one earned run in 5 innings for his second win of the season. Ryuya Taira provided Rakuten's lone run with a solo shot in the 5th.
Kengo Matsumoto tossed 7 stellar innings to raise his record to 5-0 in the Yakult Swallows 5-1 win over the Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya. Hideki Nagaoka capped a 4-run 4th inning with a 2-run double that effectively sealed the win for the Swallows. Kaito Muramatsu's third home run of the year provided the Dragons only score. A bloop timely from Takayoshi Noma in the 7th inning scored pinch runner Kounosuke Tatsumi to give the Hiroshima Carp a slim 1-0 win over the Hanshin Tigers. Carp starter Shun Okamoto played his part in the pitching duel by throwing 6-1/3 shutout innings earning his second win of the season. Tigers ace Hiroto Saiki allowed the one earned run on only 4 hits and one walk while fanning 9 over 7 innings but had to accept the loss as the Tigers offense was shutout for the second time in 3 days. It's now six wins in a row for the Yomiuri Giants following their tough 1-0 victory over the DeNA BayStars. A run scoring single from Yukinori Kishida in the 1st inning held up as the game winning hit. Standout rookie southpaw Kazuyuki Takemaru pitched 6 scoreless frames to earn his 5th win. Closer Raidel Martínez shut the door in the 9th for save number 13.
BATTING *To qualify: 3.1 plate appearances per the number of games played by that player's club Average .360 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .328 - Ryūki Watarai (BayStars) .293 - Kaito Muramatsu (Dragons) .288 - Shogo Sakakura (Carp) .281 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) On-Base Percentage .440 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .402 - Seiya Hosokawa (Dragons) .390 - Kaito Muramatsu (Dragons) .388 - Shogo Sakakura (Carp) .383 - Yusuke Ohyama (Tigers) OPS 1.160 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .914 - Shogo Sakakura (Carp) .889 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) .879 - Domingo Santana (Swallows) .871 - Kaito Muramatsu (Dragons) Home Runs 11 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) 10 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) 9 - Domingo Santana (Swallows) 8 - Bobby Dalbec (Giants) 7 - Trey Cabbage (Giants) RBIs 32 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) 26 - Shogo Sakakura (Carp) 24 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) 24 - Yusuke Ohyama (Tigers) 23 - Kaito Muramatsu (Dragons) AVG with RISP .464 - Shogo Sakakura (Carp) .412 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .400 - Seiya Hosokawa (Dragons) .346 - Ryūki Watarai (BayStars) .333 - Kaito Muramatsu (Dragons) Stolen Bases 11 - Yukihiro Iwata (Swallows) 9 - Shunsuke Urata (Giants) 9 - Konosuke Tatsumi (Carp) 8 - Hidetaka Namiki (Swallows) 7 - Masaki Mimori (BayStars) 7 - Nozomu Takatera (Tigers) PITCHING *To qualify: Minimum innings equal to the number of games played by that pitcher's club. ERA 0.38 - Haruto Takahashi (Tigers) 0.78 - Ryoji Kuribayashi (Carp) 1.17 - Yudai Ohno (Dragons) 1.64 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 2.10 - Yūya Yanagi (Dragons) WHIP 0.47 - Ryoji Kuribayashi (Carp) 0.54 - Haruto Takahashi (Tigers) 0.78 - Yudai Ohno (Dragons) 0.91 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 0.95 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) Innings pitched 53.2 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 51.1 - Yūya Yanagi (Dragons) 48.2 - Yutaro Ishida (BayStars) 48.0 - Haruto Takahashi (Tigers) 48.0 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) Strikeouts 66 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) 50 - Hiroto Takahashi (Dragons) 49 - Yutaro Ishida (BayStars) 48 - Haruto Takahashi (Tigers) 45 - Yūya Yanagi (Dragons) Wins 5 - Yudai Ohno (Dragons) 5 - Kengo Matsumoto (Swallows) 5 - Taichi Yamano (Swallows) 5 - Kazuyuki Takemaru (Giants) 4 - 4 players tied Holds 14 - Sean Reynolds (BayStars) 12 - Taylor Hearn (Carp) 12 - Eito Tanaka (Giants) 12 - Taisei Ota (Giants) 10 - Tomoya Hoshi (Swallows) Saves 13 - José Quijada (Swallows) 13 - Raidel Martínez (Giants) 10 - Yasuaki Yamasaki (BayStars) 6 - Rafael Dolis (Tigers) 6 - Suguru Iwazaki (Tigers) 6 - Shinya Matsuyama (Dragons)
BATTING *To qualify: 3.1 plate appearances per the number of games played by that player's club Average .325 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .300 - Ryosuke Tatsumi (Eagles) .297 - Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) .2901 - Misho Nishikawa (Marines) .2898 - Tatsuki Mizuno (Fighters) On-Base Percentage .405 - Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) .401 - Kensuke Kondoh (Hawks) .400 - Ryosuke Tatsumi (Eagles) .369 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .367 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) OPS .949 - Kensuke Kondoh (Hawks) .935 - Ryoya Kurihara (Hawks) .889 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .816 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .807 - Ryosuke Tatsumi (Eagles) Home Runs 12 - Ryoya Kurihara (Hawks) 10 - Chusei Mannami (Fighters) 9 - Kensuke Kondoh (Hawks) 9 - Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) 8 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) RBIs 31 - Ryoya Kurihara (Hawks) 25 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) 25 - Kensuke Kondoh (Hawks) 25 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) 24 - Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) AVG with RISP .433 - Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) .419 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .375 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) .364 - Alexander Canario (Lions) .364 - Ukyo Shuto (Hawks) Stolen Bases 8 - Haruto Watanabe (Buffaloes) 8 - Ukyo Shuto (Hawks) 6 - Hiroto Kobukata (Eagles) 5 - Yuya Ogo (Eagles) 5 - Ryota Isobata (Fighters) PITCHING *To qualify: Minimum innings equal to the number of games played by that pitcher's club. ERA 0.80 - Kaima Taira (Lions) 0.87 - Kona Takahashi (Lions) 1.52 - Ryosuke Ohtsu (Hawks) 1.93 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 2.55 - Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) WHIP 0.71 - Kona Takahashi (Lions) 0.87 - Kaima Taira (Lions) 0.92 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 0.94 - Ryosuke Ohtsu (Hawks) 0.98 - Kosei Shoji (Eagles) Innings pitched 52.1 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 52.0 - Kona Takahashi (Lions) 49.1 - Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) 46.2 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 46.1 - Yutaro Watanabe (Lions) Strikeouts 53 - Kosei Shoji (Eagles) 47 - Haruki Hosono (Fighters) 47 - Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) 45 - Andre Jackson (Marines) 43 - 4 players tied Wins 5 - Kona Takahashi (Lions) 4 - Akira Yagi (Marines) 4 - Ryosuke Ohtsu (Hawks) 4 - Anderson Espinoza (Buffaloes) 4 - Kosei Shoji (Eagles) 4 - Takayuki Kato (Fighters) 4 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) Holds 12 - Sora Suzuki (Eagles) 10 - Shota Suzuki (Marines) 10 - Ren Mukunoki (Buffaloes) 9 - Hibiki Shinohara (Lions) 9 - Hiroshi Kaino (Lions) Saves 13 - Hakua Iwaki (Lions) 12 - Andrés Machado (Buffaloes) 12 - Rikuto Yokoyama (Marines) 10 - Shoma Fujihira (Eagles) 10 - Taisei Yanagawa (Fighters)
Video replay was introduced to NPB in 2010 and was limited on what could be reviewed, such as whether the hit was a home run, and was used only when umpires judge that a video review is necessary. In 2017 the 'request system' (challenge) was implemented and allowed managers to request a video replay for plays happening at any of the bases during a game. But unlike MLB, who use expensive machines specialized for video replays that are examined by umpires at the "Replay Command Center" in New York City, NPB replays were viewed by the umpires at the stadium where the play in question took place utilizing images broadcasted on TV. This season, reviewing replays moved from the stadium to the centrally managed NPB Replay Center at the league's headquarters in Tokyo. According to the organization, "6 monitors, 2 umpires + 1 operator" are used during replay requests. However, details on the video sources used (which angles are available) have never been disclosed. "So basically, if only one broadcast network's feed can be confirmed during the game, it's entirely possible that the multi-angle footage fans are seeing at home and in the stadiums aren't reaching the replay center. MLB and KBO have full-fledged review centers that make full use of broadcast networks + dedicated camera setups. Meanwhile, NPB appears to be at a "just put it together for show" level and it's still not enough, to say the least For the sake of the players and fans, if NPB really want to seriously improve the fairness of calls, full disclosure of video sources and strengthening the system are urgently needed." - Takahito Matsuda, former U.S. Minor League (AAA) umpire and active for over 10 years overseas in leagues such as Australia and independent circuits. Sunday's controversial outcome during the Fighters-Lions game was a major talking point among fans and media alike.
Teruaki Sato went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs including his 12th home run of the year as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Chunichi Dragons 4-2 at Muscat Stadium in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. Rookie 1st Round Draft pick Masahiro Tateishi made his professional debut starting in left field and in the 2nd inning he lined the first pitch he saw into center field for his first career hit to the delight of his teammates. Starting pitcher Yuki Nishi allowed 2 eared runs in 5 innings to increase his record to 3-0. Rookie Kota Hirayama led off the game with a home run which held up as the game winner in the Yomiuri Giants 2-0 blanking of the Yakult Swallows in Iwaki. Shosei Togo looked vintage allowing 5 hits and a walk with 5 strikeouts over 7 innings in his second start of the year.
A 2-run home run from Shinya Hasegawa in the 4th inning was the difference in the Seibu Lions 3-2 win over the Lotte Marines in Maebashi. Manaya Nishikawa also homered for the Lions that tied the score at 1-1 in the 3rd inning. Natsuki Takeuchi allowed just one earned run over 7 innings, striking out 7 batters to earn his third win of the season. A solo blast from Neftali Soto offered hope in the 9th inning but the Marines were unable to score any more despite out-hitting the Lions 8-5 on the night. A 2-run home run from Yuya Gunji highlighted a 4-run 2nd inning as the Nippon-Ham Fighters went on to a 6-2 victory over the Rakuten Eagles at Es Con Field Hokkaido. Chusei Mannami added insurance in the 3rd by launching his 11th home run this year. Hiromi Itoh struggled on the mound for the Fighters by eventually recorded 9 strikeouts to earn his fifth win of the season.