Overview
The postseason in NPB encompasses the playoff rounds held after the regular season (pennant race), consisting of the Climax Series (CS) and the Japan Series. The CS is a tournament among the top three teams in each league: the First Stage pits the second-place team against the third-place team in a best-of-three, and the Final Stage matches the league champion against the First Stage winner in a best-of-six with a one-win advantage for the top seed. The CS winners from each league then meet in the best-of-seven Japan Series to crown the national champion. The postseason's history is intertwined with NPB's institutional evolution. The Japan Series has existed since the two-league system began in 1950, but the CS predecessor - a Pacific League playoff - was not introduced until 2004, expanding to the Central League in 2007 to form the current structure. Postseason baseball demands a different intensity and strategic calculus than the regular season. In short series, ace pitchers may start on short rest, and managers employ aggressive bullpen strategies rarely seen during the 143-game grind. Home-field advantage carries outsized weight, adding a new dimension to the regular-season standings race.