Overview
A home run is recorded when a batted ball clears the fair-territory fence, allowing the batter and all baserunners to score. NPB's official career leaderboard lists Sadaharu Oh's 868 home runs as the most as of September 2, 2026, and its single-season leaderboard lists Wladimir Balentien's 60 in 2013 as the most as of the end of the 2025 season. A home run is regarded as a batting outcome that can swing the course of a game, and it draws particular attention from spectators. An inside-the-park home run, where the batter circles the bases without the ball leaving the field, is said to be produced mostly by fast runners and is rarely recorded.