15/05/2026 1 Minute Read

Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball gold medallist Hayato Sakamoto hits 300th home run

The 38-year-old Tokyo Yomiuri Giants legend was Japan's starting shortstop at the Olympics and at the WBSC Premier12 2019. He reached the 2,000-hit mark in 2020. He became the 48th player to reach the 300 home run club and now has Wladimir Balentien and Nobuhiro Matsuda (301) in his sights.

01/04/2026 1 Minute Read

Haruki Hosono pitches 91st NPB No Hitter

The hard-throwing left-hander posted the first complete game and the first shutout of his young career. He had only eight NPB appearances before the Nippon Ham Fighters' 2026 home opener on Tuesday, March 31.

Categories: Asia , Baseball , Men's Baseball , NPB

26/03/2026 3 Minute Read

Hanshin Tigers and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks headline 2026 NPB season as teams to beat

Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball season opens on Friday, 27 March. The defending champions, Hawks, are the Pacific League favourites, while the 2025 runner-up Tigers lead the Central League previews.

Categories: Asia , Baseball , NPB

06/02/2026 2 Minute Read

Unprecedented 78 MLB All-Stars highlight World Baseball Classic rosters

The 20 rosters include 36 players who were All-Stars in 2025, the reigning MLB MVPs and Cy Young Award winners, six NPB MVPs, and two KBO MVPs. The World Baseball Classic is scheduled from March 5 to 17.

12/01/2026 1 Minute Read

Tatsuya Imai signs $63 million deal with MLB's Houston Astros

In the 2025 season with the Seibu Lions of NPB, the 27-year-old right-hander pitched a combined no-hitter and struck out 17 batters in a game, breaking a franchise record set by 'Dice-K' Matsuzaka.

Categories: Asia , Baseball , MLB , NPB

08/01/2026 2 Minute Read

Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Munetaka Murakami lands two-year deal with MLB's Chicago White Sox

The contract is worth US$35 million. "By putting this uniform on, I feel I finally reached the start line," the slugger said during a press conference, "My goal is to win, continuously grow and continuously challenge myself."

07/01/2026 1 Minute Read

International baseball star Kazuma Okamoto moves from Yomiuri Giants to Toronto Blue Jays

The 2023 World Baseball Classic winner signed a four-year and US$60 million contract with the MLB World Series runner-ups.

10/12/2025 1 Minute Read

NPB Secretary General Katsuhiko Nakamura visits WBSC Headquarters to discuss global growth of Baseball

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, pictured here with Nippon Professional Baseball Secretary General Katsuhiko Nakamura, discussed the growing popularity of baseball in Japan and around the world.

Categories: Asia , Baseball , NPB , Premier12 , WBSC

27/11/2025 2 Minute Read

WBSC Premier12 star Kenta Maeda returns to Japan

The 37-year-old right-hander agreed to a two-year contract with NPB's Rakuten Golden Eagles after playing for three different MLB clubs (Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers) from 2016 to 2025.

12/11/2025 1 Minute Read

Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Hiromi Itoh wins NPB's Eiji Sawamura Award

The award recognises the most outstanding starting pitcher in NPB's season. After Yoshinobu Yamamoto, now with MLB's LA Dodgers, won his third straight in 2023, the Sawamura wasn't awarded in 2024 because no pitcher met the criteria.