Japan Softball: Ayane Nakagawa and Megan Faraimo named JD.League 2025 MVPs

On December 1, at the Nitori JD.LEAGUE 2025 Awards ceremony, the top individual honours were announced with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards going to Ayane Nakagawa from the East Division and Megan Faraimo from the West Division. 

Toda Medics' Nakagawa, a World Champion with Japan in 2024, enjoyed a spectacular season, leading in multiple categories with a .396 batting average, 10 home runs and most RBIs to secure the top batting title. 

USA star Faraimo, from Toyota Red Terriers, dominated as a pitcher with an 18-win, 3-loss record and an outstanding 0.73 ERA. 

Beyond the MVPs, the Awards ceremony recognised numerous players across a variety of categories. Among the honorees:

Eastern Division:

Best ERA: Yuki Masuda (Toda Medics) — 0.96 ERA 

Most Wins (Pitcher): Miu Goto (Toda Medics) — 13-2 win-loss record 

Most Home Runs / Top Batter: Akane Nakagawa — 10 HRs, .396 batting average 

Most RBIs: Yua Sakamoto (Toda Medics) — 31 RBIs 

Most Stolen Bases: Risa Kawamura (BicCamera Takasaki) — 12 steals 

Western Division:

Best ERA & Most Wins: Megan Faraimo — ERA 0.73, 18-3 record 

Top Batter (Batting Title): Minato Shimanaka (Toyota) — .395 average 

Most Home Runs & RBIs: Yuki Yamada (Toyota) — 9 HRs, 33 RBIs 

Most Stolen Bases: Misaki Kobayashi (Shionogi) — 20 steals 

The dual MVP selection underscores the depth of talent across both divisions of the Japan Diamond Softball League (JD.League), the premier women’s softball league in Japan, which includes 16 teams divided evenly between the East and West Divisions.