‘Dream of four straight losses after two wins’ repaid with first four-game winning streak in two years! Japan’s SoftBank, NPB’s first 7-game sweep to claim Japan Series title… ‘Law school graduate’ Masaki named MVP

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Two years ago, after taking an early two-game lead, they dropped four consecutive games and had the championship trophy snatched away from under their noses. This year, they did not allow a single loss. The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who shed tears at the threshold of victory two years ago, completely avenged themselves by sweeping Yokohama DeNA BayStars in four straight games.

SoftBank secured a 4-2 comeback victory over Yokohama in Game 4 of the 2026 NPB Japan Series (best-of-seven) held on the 28th at Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan.

With this, SoftBank reached the pinnacle of the Japan Series for the 13th time in franchise history, including their Nanakawa and Dai-Era periods, marking their second consecutive title. Their total number of championships ranks tied for second all-time with Seibu Lions, behind Yomiuri Giants (22 titles), and is also the most in Pacific League history. SoftBank franchise star and legend, Manager Kuroki Hiroki (55), has joined the ranks of legendary managers by leading his team to a third consecutive Pacific League first-place finish and a second consecutive Japan Series title.

The season did not start with dominance. SoftBank suffered their first four-game losing streak of the season on May 16, losing to Rakuten Golden Eagles. A record that had once reached a +6 win-loss margin fell to a state where they had one more loss than wins, and their standing dropped as low as fourth place. However, they ultimately demonstrated the resilience of a prince. SoftBank finished the regular season with a 91-3-49 record (winning percentage .650), trailing second-place Seibu by a massive 11.5 games.

Coincidentally, the records of the Japan Series opponents and the two teams were exactly the same as two years ago, sparking buzz within Japan. Yokohama finished third in the Central League with a 71-3-69 record (winning percentage .507). SoftBank also posted an identical 91-3-49 record to their 2024 season. The two teams met in the Japan Series in 2024 as well. At that time, SoftBank took early leads in Games 1 and 2 on Yokohama’s home turf. However, DeNA went on an incredible four-game winning streak starting from Game 3, ultimately claiming their first Japan Series title in 26 years as the third-place team.

This year’s start was eerily similar. Once again, SoftBank took both Games 1 and 2 held in Yokohama. In Game 1, they scored two runs in the bottom of the 11th inning to break a 1-1 tie, winning 3-1. Game 2 was even more dramatic. Leading 2-0, they were hit with a go-ahead three-run homer by Tsutsumi Yoshitomo (35) in the eighth inning, but came back to life with a tying home run from pinch hitter Yamakawa Hotaka (35) in the ninth. In the top of the 10th inning, Kawamura Yuto (27) hit a decisive solo homer to complete a 4-3 comeback victory. The drama was heightened by the fact that Kawamura is a utility player with only one career NPB home run and a batting average of just .095 this year.

Two years ago, the nightmare began from this point. But this year was different. In Game 3, moved to Fukuoka, SoftBank trailed 0-1 after being shut out for seven innings by Yokohama ace Azuma Katsuki (31), but Makihara Daichi (34) hit a tying RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning. Then, Masaki Tomoya (27) hit a walk-off solo home run in the top of the 10th inning. For the first time in Japan Series history, Games 1 through 3 all ended in extra innings, and SoftBank was the winner in all three games.

SoftBank also took an early lead in Game 4. They allowed a two-run homer to Sano Keita (32) in the first inning. However, SoftBank tied the game in the fourth inning when Yamamoto Yudai (28) hit a two-RBI triple, then took the lead on Yanagita Yuki’s (38) RBI hit. They added another run in the sixth inning to pull ahead 4-2 and held onto the lead until the end.

A remarkable record was also set. Combining the three games played in the Climax Series (CS) Final Stage and the four Japan Series games, SoftBank recorded a 7-game winning streak in actual postseason games. According to Nikkan Sports, reaching the Japan Series title with seven consecutive wins without a loss is a first in NPB history.

Even more surprising is the fact that all seven victories were comebacks. Ending the Japan Series in just four games is also a franchise record and an NPB record for the most occurrences, following 1959, 2019, and 2020. By winning the Japan Series 10 times since 2000, they reaffirmed their status as the strongest team in Japanese baseball.

At the center of it all was ‘law school graduate slugger’ Masaki. Masaki has a unique background, graduating from the Department of Political Science in the Faculty of Law at prestigious Keio University after attending Keio High School. He joined SoftBank as a second-round pick in the 2021 rookie draft. Last year, he underwent surgery for a left shoulder dislocation and was sidelined for a long period, but this year he set career highs across the board with a .274 batting average, 28 home runs, and 59 RBIs in the regular season.

His performance in the Japan Series was also outstanding. Masaki recorded hits in all four games of the series, posting a .438 batting average (7 hits in 16 at-bats), 2 home runs, and 2 RBIs. He hit a lead-off solo home run in Game 2 and played a decisive role in securing the championship with a walk-off home run in the top of the 10th inning in Game 3, earning him the Japan Series MVP award. After the victory, Masaki shared his thoughts via Nikkan Sports: “When I was injured last year, I never imagined I would perform like this this year. I’m glad I worked so hard on my rehabilitation.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original