Fukuoka Softbank Hawks win 2026 Japan Series
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeated the Hanshin Tigers in five games to claim the 2025 Japan Series title.
After losing the opening game on home soil at the Mizuho Pay Pay Dome in Fukuoka, the Hawks won four straight and claimed the title. Fukuoka outscored the Hanshin Tigers in Game Two and won three consecutive one-run games to claim the crown.
The Hawks had dominated with seven titles from 2011 to 2020, but hadn't won. It is the 12th Japan Series title for the franchise.
2025 Japan Series Results
Hawks-Tigers 1-2
Hawks-Tigers 10-1
Tigers-Hawks 1-2
Tigers-Hawks 2-3
Tigers-Hawks 2-3
In Game Five, facing defeat in front of over 41,000 fans at Koshien Stadium, the Tigers took a 2-0 lead into the seventh. Lefty Kotaro Otake threw six shutout innings of three-hit ball for the Tigers, while SoftBank starter Kohei Arihara left the game after 4.2 innings in which he allowed six hits and three walks. He gave up both Hanshin runs.
Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Yuki Yanagida hit a two-run homer off Daichi Ishii to tie the game in the eighth. As the game got to extra innings, the Tigers handed the ball to their ace, Shoki Murakami, game one winner.
After a scoreless 10th, Isami Nomura led off the 11th with a solo home run to right field that proved the Japan Series winner,
Darwinzon Hernandez, Haru Matsumoto, Koya Fujii, Kazuki Sugiyama, and Yuki Matsumoto kept the Hanshin Tigers scoreless for six innings. Sugiyama, the Hawks' closer, pitched two innings and earned the win. Matsumoto picked the save.
World Baseball Classic winner Hotaka Murakawa homered in three consecutive games after getting only one pinch-hit at bat in game one and earned MVP honours.
"We didn't have any time to catch our breath, but I think we played really well in all five games," Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo told the Japan Times. "We were unable to do it last year, so I'm thrilled that we achieved our goal of becoming No. 1 in Japan."
The Hawks lost the 2024 Japan Series to the Yokohama DeNa BayStars after leading the series 2-0. "Last year was really disappointing," Kokubo said. "I have so much gratitude for the players, who played in 154 games, including the Climax Series and the Japan Series."