Overview
Home-field advantage refers to the statistically higher winning percentage observed for teams playing at their home stadium. In NPB, home teams consistently outperform visitors by roughly 3-5 percentage points. The advantage stems from multiple factors. First, overwhelming fan support provides psychological uplift for the home team while pressuring opponents. Second, the absence of travel eliminates fatigue and disruption that visiting teams endure from road trips. Third, familiarity with the home ballpark - ground conditions, outfield fence distances, wind patterns - confers defensive benefits. Home-field advantage becomes even more valuable in the postseason. In the Climax Series, higher-seeded teams from the regular season earn home hosting rights, which significantly influence outcomes. Clubs invest heavily in maximizing home advantage through fan engagement initiatives and cultivating an intimidating stadium atmosphere.