Overview
The visitor (or away team) refers to the team playing at the opposing club's home stadium. In NPB, teams alternate between home and away throughout the season, with roughly half of the 143 games played on the road. The visiting team bats first (top of the inning) while the home team bats second (bottom), a sequencing difference that gives the home team the tactical advantage of a potential walk-off victory in the ninth inning. The defining characteristic of visitor games is competing in a hostile environment surrounded by opposing fans. While home games enjoy overwhelming crowd support, visiting teams face a significant noise and energy disadvantage - a phenomenon known as 'home-field advantage,' which statistical analysis consistently confirms through higher home winning percentages. NPB has a vibrant culture of traveling fans who make road trips to support their team, and visitor cheering sections often generate intense atmospheres. Hanshin Tigers fans are particularly renowned for filling away stadiums in large numbers, and the sight of opposing venues packed with Tigers supporters has become an iconic feature of NPB.