After finishing second to the Orix Buffaloes in the Pacific League for three consecutive years, the SoftBank Hawks are dominating this year without any serious competition. At the midpoint of the 143-game regular season, their win rate is over 70%, and they lead the second-place team by 12.5 games. At this rate, they could start counting their magic number before the All-Star break.

On July 2, SoftBank won 3-2 against the Seibu Lions at Tokyo Dome, extending their winning streak to four games. This victory came after sweeping a three-game series against the Nippon-Ham Fighters and taking the first game of a three-game series against Seibu.

This four-game winning streak brought SoftBank's season record to 49 wins, 3 ties, and 20 losses in 72 games, with a win rate of .710. The second-place Chiba Lotte Marines have 35 wins, 6 ties, and 31 losses in 72 games, with a win rate of .530, trailing SoftBank by 12.5 games. Although there are over 70 games left, SoftBank’s hold on first place in the Pacific League seems assured.

In the 2010s, SoftBank was the dominant team in Japanese professional baseball, winning the Pacific League six times and the Japan Series seven times from 2010 to 2020. However, they lost the league title to Orix in the past three years, finishing fourth in 2021, second in 2022, and third in 2023.먹튀검증

This year, under the leadership of former national team manager Hiroki Kokubo, SoftBank is having a historic season. Nishinihon Sports reported on July 3 that SoftBank is approaching its magic number to clinch first place in the Pacific League. Even though the first half of the season isn’t over, they are well on their way to securing the top spot.

Nishinihon Sports attributes SoftBank’s strength to their star power. SoftBank players lead in 10 out of 12 official NPB individual title categories in the Pacific League. The publication noted that if one team were to sweep all individual titles, it would be an unprecedented achievement in both the Pacific and Central Leagues.

In batting, SoftBank players dominate all six categories. Kensuke Kondo leads with a .352 batting average, while Kondo and Hotaka Yamakawa are tied for first in home runs with 13 each. Yamakawa also leads in RBIs with 50. Kondo tops the hits category with 88 and on-base percentage at .456. Ukyo Shuto leads in stolen bases with 24.

In pitching, SoftBank players lead in four out of six categories and are second in the other two. Livan Moinelo has the best ERA at 1.43, Kohei Arihara leads in wins with eight, Roberto Osuna has the most saves with 20, and Yuki Matsumoto tops the holds category with 25. Moinelo is second in strikeouts, and Arihara is second in win percentage, chasing first place in both categories.