NPB Magic: Hanshin / SoftBank clinched

Data as of
  • ✓Hanshin 0 - 4 Yakult

The one game today is included as provisional results (official figures update the next morning)

Central League

Hanshin - lit M0

Pacific League

SoftBank - lit M0

end of Oct 8, 2026 / npbc.media

Hanshin (Tigers) have clinched the pennant (Central League, as of Oct 8, 2026) and SoftBank (Hawks) have clinched the pennant (Pacific League).

A magic number is not the end of the story once it lights up.

Current magic numbers

Central League M0

Hanshin have clinched the pennant.

Pacific League M0

SoftBank have clinched the pennant.

Magic numbers by league? Central League magic number Pacific League magic number

See nextClub strength breakdownFirst-place club in its leagueHanshin PitchingS− BattingASoftBank PitchingC− BattingA−Club strength breakdownHighest-rated battersFirst-place club in its leagueHanshin 佐藤 輝明S 森下 翔太S−SoftBank 栗原 陵矢A+ 近藤 健介AHighest-rated battersPostseasonChampionship odds SoftBank57.9% Hanshin30.5%CS First Stage from Sat, Oct 10 Yomiuri vs DeNA Seibu vs Nippon-HamChampionship odds and the postseasonBaseball quizExample Avg this week.850 Off the bench2 days Cleanup hitterTake today's 10 questions

Magic numbers

The smallest number of remaining wins that clinches the pennant regardless of what rivals do. If percentages finish level, the order is settled by head-to-head records and the other league criteria. This is a different number from the "X more wins" on the pennant line chart, which is an estimated guide to reaching the line.

Central League

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Team Magic Status Left Controls
pennant
Hanshin 0 Clinched 0 Yes
Yomiuri — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
DeNA — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
Hiroshima — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
Yakult — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
Chunichi — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No

On Sat, Aug 29, the magic number lit for Hanshin at 23.

Pacific League

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Team Magic Status Left Controls
pennant
SoftBank 0 Clinched 0 Yes
Seibu — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
Nippon-Ham — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
ORIX — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
Lotte — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No
Rakuten — Eliminated from the pennant race 0 No

On Wed, Aug 5, the magic number lit for SoftBank at 37.

The bar in the magic column shows the magic number as a share of remaining games. The longer the bar, the more of the remaining schedule must be won - the smaller the cushion.

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Per-rival breakdown (who sets the magic number)

'Wins needed' is the number of wins required to finish ahead of that rival even if it wins all its remaining games. The largest of these is the magic number, and the rival that sets it is the 'target club'.

Breakdown from Hanshin's standpoint

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Rival Wins needed Head-to-head
left
Yomiuri 0 0
DeNA 0 0
Hiroshima 0 0
Yakult 0 0
Chunichi 0 0

Breakdown from SoftBank's standpoint

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Rival Wins needed Head-to-head
left
Seibu 0 0
Nippon-Ham 0 0
ORIX 0 0
Lotte 0 0
Rakuten 0 0
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This season's magic number history (lit, dark, self-control lost and regained)

A day-by-day history of the magic number.

Central League

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Date Event
Fri, Jul 3 Chunichi regain the ability to clinch on their own
Sun, Jul 5 Chunichi lose the ability to clinch on their own
Mon (hol), Jul 20 Hiroshima lose the ability to clinch on their own
Fri, Jul 31 DeNA lose the ability to clinch on their own
Tue, Aug 4 DeNA regain the ability to clinch on their own
Wed, Aug 5 Yakult lose the ability to clinch on their own
Thu, Aug 6 DeNA lose the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Aug 8 DeNA regain the ability to clinch on their own
Tue (hol), Aug 11 DeNA lose the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Aug 29 Yomiuri lose the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Aug 29 Hanshin light up a magic number of 23
Sat, Oct 3 Hanshin clinch the pennant (M0)

Full season log

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Tue, Jun 30 Chunichi lose the ability to clinch on their own
Fri, Jul 3 Chunichi regain the ability to clinch on their own
Sun, Jul 5 Chunichi lose the ability to clinch on their own
Mon (hol), Jul 20 Hiroshima lose the ability to clinch on their own
Fri, Jul 31 DeNA lose the ability to clinch on their own
Tue, Aug 4 DeNA regain the ability to clinch on their own
Wed, Aug 5 Yakult lose the ability to clinch on their own
Thu, Aug 6 DeNA lose the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Aug 8 DeNA regain the ability to clinch on their own
Tue (hol), Aug 11 DeNA lose the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Aug 29 Yomiuri lose the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Aug 29 Hanshin light up a magic number of 23
Sat, Oct 3 Hanshin clinch the pennant (M0)
Central League Magic number trend and countdown pace end of Oct 8, 2026 npbc.media 0 5 10 15 20 25 Aug Sep Oct T M0

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Central League Magic number trend and countdown pace end of Oct 8, 2026 npbc.media 0 5 10 15 20 25 Aug Sep Oct T M0

Pacific League

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Date Event
Wed, Jun 10 Rakuten lose the ability to clinch on their own
Fri, Jun 12 Rakuten regain the ability to clinch on their own
Sat, Jun 13 Rakuten lose the ability to clinch on their own
Mon (hol), Jul 20 Lotte lose the ability to clinch on their own
Tue, Jul 21 Lotte regain the ability to clinch on their own
Wed, Jul 22 ORIX lose the ability to clinch on their own
Thu, Jul 23 Lotte lose the ability to clinch on their own
Tue, Aug 4 Seibu lose the ability to clinch on their own
Wed, Aug 5 Nippon-Ham lose the ability to clinch on their own
Wed, Aug 5 SoftBank light up a magic number of 37
Thu, Sep 17 SoftBank clinch the pennant (M0)
Pacific League Magic number trend and countdown pace end of Oct 8, 2026 npbc.media 0 10 20 30 Aug Sep Oct H M0

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Pacific League Magic number trend and countdown pace end of Oct 8, 2026 npbc.media 0 10 20 30 Aug Sep Oct H M0
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Magic number lighting dates, last 20 seasons (2006-2025)

This section lists past seasons' results. For the current season, see the status board at the top of the page.

The first game day of each season on which every other club had lost the ability to clinch on its own (= the lighting date).

Historical lighting dates and this season's position (last 20 seasons) end of Oct 8, 2026 npbc.media Central League This season: T lit on Aug 29 Of the last 20 seasons, No. 13 earliest 2022 result: Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit on Jul 2 (M53) 1 2008 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Jul 22 (M46) / 2025 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Jul 30 (M39) 2 2006 result: Chunichi Dragons lit on Aug 12 (M40) / 2013 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 9 (M39) / 2017 result: Hiroshima Toyo Carp lit on Aug 8 (M33) / 2018 result: Hiroshima Toyo Carp lit on Aug 15 (M32) 4 2009 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 27 (M26) / 2012 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 23 (M30) / 2016 result: Hiroshima Toyo Carp lit on Aug 24 (M20) / 2019 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 24 (M20) / 2023 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Aug 16 (M29) 5 2010 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Sep 9 (M19) / 2014 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Sep 4 (M22) / 2020 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Sep 15 (M38) 3 2007 result: Chunichi Dragons lit on Sep 24 (M7) / 2015 result: Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit on Sep 27 (M3) / 2024 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Sep 18 (M9) 3 2011 result: Chunichi Dragons lit on Oct 12 (M4) / 2021 result: Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit on Oct 8 (M11) 2 2022 Tokyo Yakult Swallows Jul 2 2011 Chunichi Dragons Oct 12 Pacific League This season: H lit on Aug 5 Of the last 20 seasons, No. 2 earliest 2024 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Jul 30 (M42) 1 2015 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Aug 5 (M38) 1 2008 result: Saitama Seibu Lions lit on Aug 19 (M28) / 2009 result: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lit on Aug 28 (M29) / 2013 result: Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles lit on Aug 28 (M28) / 2023 result: ORIX Buffaloes lit on Aug 26 (M24) 4 2006 result: Seibu Lions lit on Sep 5 (M14) / 2010 result: Saitama Seibu Lions lit on Sep 11 (M8) / 2016 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 2 (M20) / 2017 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 1 (M16) / 2019 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 12 (M12) / 2022 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 15 (M11) / 2025 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 5 (M18) 7 2007 result: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lit on Sep 21 (M8) / 2011 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 17 (M17) / 2012 result: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lit on Sep 28 (M4) / 2014 result: ORIX Buffaloes lit on Sep 25 (M7) / 2018 result: Saitama Seibu Lions lit on Sep 17 (M11) 5 2021 result: Chiba Lotte Marines lit on Oct 14 (M9) 1 2020 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Oct 21 (M8) 1 2024 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Jul 30 2020 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Oct 21 7/1 7/16 8/1 8/16 9/1 9/16 10/1 10/16

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Historical lighting dates and this season's position (last 20 seasons) end of Oct 8, 2026 npbc.media Central League This season: T lit on Aug 29 Of the last 20 seasons, No. 13 earliest 2008 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Jul 22 (M46) / 2022 result: Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit on Jul 2 (M53) / 2025 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Jul 30 (M39) 3 2006 result: Chunichi Dragons lit on Aug 12 (M40) / 2009 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 27 (M26) / 2012 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 23 (M30) / 2013 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 9 (M39) / 2016 result: Hiroshima Toyo Carp lit on Aug 24 (M20) / 2017 result: Hiroshima Toyo Carp lit on Aug 8 (M33) / 2018 result: Hiroshima Toyo Carp lit on Aug 15 (M32) / 2019 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Aug 24 (M20) / 2023 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Aug 16 (M29) 9 2007 result: Chunichi Dragons lit on Sep 24 (M7) / 2010 result: Hanshin Tigers lit on Sep 9 (M19) / 2014 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Sep 4 (M22) / 2015 result: Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit on Sep 27 (M3) / 2020 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Sep 15 (M38) / 2024 result: Yomiuri Giants lit on Sep 18 (M9) 6 2011 result: Chunichi Dragons lit on Oct 12 (M4) / 2021 result: Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit on Oct 8 (M11) 2 2022 2011 Pacific League This season: H lit on Aug 5 Of the last 20 seasons, No. 2 earliest 2024 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Jul 30 (M42) 1 2008 result: Saitama Seibu Lions lit on Aug 19 (M28) / 2009 result: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lit on Aug 28 (M29) / 2013 result: Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles lit on Aug 28 (M28) / 2015 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Aug 5 (M38) / 2023 result: ORIX Buffaloes lit on Aug 26 (M24) 5 2006 result: Seibu Lions lit on Sep 5 (M14) / 2007 result: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lit on Sep 21 (M8) / 2010 result: Saitama Seibu Lions lit on Sep 11 (M8) / 2011 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 17 (M17) / 2012 result: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lit on Sep 28 (M4) / 2014 result: ORIX Buffaloes lit on Sep 25 (M7) / 2016 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 2 (M20) / 2017 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 1 (M16) / 2018 result: Saitama Seibu Lions lit on Sep 17 (M11) / 2019 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 12 (M12) / 2022 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 15 (M11) / 2025 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Sep 5 (M18) 12 2020 result: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks lit on Oct 21 (M8) / 2021 result: Chiba Lotte Marines lit on Oct 14 (M9) 2 2024 2020 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1
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Full list by year

Central League

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Year Team Lit on M at
lighting
2025 Hanshin TigersHanshin ※ Jul 30 39
2024 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Sep 18 9
2023 Hanshin TigersHanshin ※ Aug 16 29
2022 Tokyo Yakult SwallowsYakult ※ Jul 2 53
2021 Tokyo Yakult SwallowsYakult ※ Oct 8 11
2020 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Sep 15 38
2019 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Aug 24 20
2018 Hiroshima Toyo CarpHiroshima ※ Aug 15 32
2017 Hiroshima Toyo CarpHiroshima ※ Aug 8 33
2016 Hiroshima Toyo CarpHiroshima ※ Aug 24 20
2015 Tokyo Yakult SwallowsYakult ※ Sep 27 3
2014 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Sep 4 22
2013 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Aug 9 39
2012 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Aug 23 30
2011 Chunichi DragonsChunichi ※ Oct 12 4
2010 Hanshin TigersHanshin ※ Sep 9 19
2009 Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri ※ Aug 27 26
2008 Hanshin TigersHanshin ※ Jul 22 46
2007 Chunichi DragonsChunichi ※ Sep 24 7
2006 Chunichi DragonsChunichi ※ Aug 12 40

Pacific League

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Year Team Lit on M at
lighting
2025 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Sep 5 18
2024 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Jul 30 42
2023 ORIX BuffaloesORIX ※ Aug 26 24
2022 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Sep 15 11
2021 Chiba Lotte MarinesLotte ※ Oct 14 9
2020 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Oct 21 8
2019 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Sep 12 12
2018 Saitama Seibu LionsSeibu ※ Sep 17 11
2017 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Sep 1 16
2016 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Sep 2 20
2015 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Aug 5 38
2014 ORIX BuffaloesORIX ※ Sep 25 7
2013 Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesRakuten ※ Aug 28 28
2012 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersNippon-Ham ※ Sep 28 4
2011 Fukuoka SoftBank HawksSoftBank ※ Sep 17 17
2010 Saitama Seibu LionsSeibu ※ Sep 11 8
2009 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersNippon-Ham ※ Aug 28 29
2008 Saitama Seibu LionsSeibu ※ Aug 19 28
2007 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersNippon-Ham ※ Sep 21 8
2006 Seibu LionsSeibu ※ Sep 5 14
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Years marked ※ are those where the club that lit the magic number differs from the official champion (e.g. it went dark and another club came back).

The estimated figures are worked out by this site and are not official announcements.

Magic numbers, formally: lighting, M0, going dark and relighting

The magic number M is the smallest number of remaining wins that clinches the pennant regardless of what rivals do. The day M reaches 0 is the clinch date.

By convention the magic number 'lights up' when every other club has lost the ability to clinch on its own. It can go dark again after a losing stretch (a rival's self-control can revive), so a lit number is not a clinched pennant. A dark number can relight later, and the lit club can even change. The season-history section of this page lists every lighting, unlighting and relighting with its date.

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The target club: the rival that sets the number

The 'target club' is the rival that sets the magic number. When the target club loses, M can drop without the leader even playing.

The target is not fixed. If the target club keeps losing and its requirement falls, the next rival becomes the new target. The per-rival breakdown table on this page shows which club currently sets M, how many wins are needed against each rival, and how many head-to-head games remain.

Lighting conditions and self-control: elimination it is not

The lighting condition is that exactly one club in the league still controls its own fate. Controlling your own fate means winning out would clinch the pennant regardless of other results. In other words, a magic number lights up not when a club achieves something, but at the moment every other club's self-control disappears.

Losing self-control is not elimination: depending on rivals, both the pennant and renewed control remain possible. Current winning percentages and games behind are on the NPB standings.

How M falls: sometimes by 2 or more at once

The basic pattern is 'your win takes 1 off; a target-club loss takes 1 off'. Beating the target club head-to-head does both at once, and if the target changes at the same time, the number can move even further. Conversely, your own loss never increases M (it just fails to shrink) - but if a rival regains self-control, the number goes dark.

Frequently asked questions

What is a magic number?

The smallest number of remaining wins that clinches the pennant regardless of rivals. It 'lights up' when every other club loses the ability to clinch on its own, and the day it reaches 0 is the clinch date.

What is the magic number's 'target club'?

Among the per-rival wins-needed values, the rival that produces the largest one. Since the magic number equals that maximum, a target-club loss can shrink M even on the leader's day off. The target changes as the standings evolve.

Can a lit magic number disappear?

Yes. A lit number means every other club has lost self-control, so a losing stretch that revives any rival's self-control puts the number out. It relights when the condition holds again. This page's season history lists each lighting, unlighting and relighting with dates.

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Sources and references

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