Results by year
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| Year | League | Stage | Matchup | Result | Advanced | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '26 Central Final | Central | Final | Hanshin (1) vs DeNA (3) | 1 - 4 | DeNA | Upset |
| '26 Central First | Central | First | Yomiuri (2) vs DeNA (3) | 0 - 2 | DeNA | |
| '26 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 5 - 0 | SoftBank | |
| '26 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Seibu (2) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 1 - 2 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '25 Central Final | Central | Final | Hanshin (1) vs DeNA (2) | 4 - 0 | Hanshin | |
| '25 Central First | Central | First | DeNA (2) vs Yomiuri (3) | 2 - 0 | DeNA | |
| '25 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Nippon-Ham (2) | 4 - 3 | SoftBank | |
| '25 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Nippon-Ham (2) vs ORIX (3) | 2 - 0 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '24 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs DeNA (3) | 3 - 4 | DeNA | Upset |
| '24 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs DeNA (3) | 0 - 2 | DeNA | |
| '24 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Nippon-Ham (2) | 4 - 0 | SoftBank | |
| '24 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Nippon-Ham (2) vs Lotte (3) | 2 - 1 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '23 Central Final | Central | Final | Hanshin (1) vs Hiroshima (2) | 4 - 0 | Hanshin | |
| '23 Central First | Central | First | Hiroshima (2) vs DeNA (3) | 2 - 0 | Hiroshima | |
| '23 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | ORIX (1) vs Lotte (2) | 4 - 1 | ORIX | |
| '23 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Lotte (2) vs SoftBank (3) | 2 - 1 | Lotte | |
| '22 Central Final | Central | Final | Yakult (1) vs Hanshin (3) | 4 - 0 | Yakult | |
| '22 Central First | Central | First | DeNA (2) vs Hanshin (3) | 1 - 2 | Hanshin | |
| '22 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | ORIX (1) vs SoftBank (2) | 4 - 1 | ORIX | |
| '22 Pacific First | Pacific | First | SoftBank (2) vs Seibu (3) | 2 - 0 | SoftBank | |
| '21 Central Final | Central | Final | Yakult (1) vs Yomiuri (3) | 3 - 0 (1) | Yakult | |
| '21 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs Yomiuri (3) | 0 - 2 | Yomiuri | |
| '21 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | ORIX (1) vs Lotte (2) | 3 - 0 (1) | ORIX | |
| '21 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Lotte (2) vs Rakuten (3) | 1 - 0 (1) | Lotte | |
| '20 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Lotte (2) | 3 - 0 | SoftBank | * |
| '19 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Hanshin (3) | 4 - 1 | Yomiuri | |
| '19 Central First | Central | First | DeNA (2) vs Hanshin (3) | 1 - 2 | Hanshin | |
| '19 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Seibu (1) vs SoftBank (2) | 1 - 4 | SoftBank | |
| '19 Pacific First | Pacific | First | SoftBank (2) vs Rakuten (3) | 2 - 1 | SoftBank | |
| '18 Central Final | Central | Final | Hiroshima (1) vs Yomiuri (3) | 4 - 0 | Hiroshima | |
| '18 Central First | Central | First | Yakult (2) vs Yomiuri (3) | 0 - 2 | Yomiuri | |
| '18 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Seibu (1) vs SoftBank (2) | 2 - 4 | SoftBank | |
| '18 Pacific First | Pacific | First | SoftBank (2) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 2 - 1 | SoftBank | |
| '17 Central Final | Central | Final | Hiroshima (1) vs DeNA (3) | 2 - 4 | DeNA | Upset |
| '17 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs DeNA (3) | 1 - 2 | DeNA | |
| '17 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Rakuten (3) | 4 - 2 | SoftBank | |
| '17 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Seibu (2) vs Rakuten (3) | 1 - 2 | Rakuten | |
| '16 Central Final | Central | Final | Hiroshima (1) vs DeNA (3) | 4 - 1 | Hiroshima | |
| '16 Central First | Central | First | Yomiuri (2) vs DeNA (3) | 1 - 2 | DeNA | |
| '16 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Nippon-Ham (1) vs SoftBank (2) | 4 - 2 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '16 Pacific First | Pacific | First | SoftBank (2) vs Lotte (3) | 2 - 0 | SoftBank | |
| '15 Central Final | Central | Final | Yakult (1) vs Yomiuri (2) | 4 - 1 | Yakult | |
| '15 Central First | Central | First | Yomiuri (2) vs Hanshin (3) | 2 - 1 | Yomiuri | |
| '15 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Lotte (3) | 4 - 0 | SoftBank | |
| '15 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Nippon-Ham (2) vs Lotte (3) | 1 - 2 | Lotte | |
| '14 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Hanshin (2) | 1 - 4 | Hanshin | |
| '14 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs Hiroshima (3) | 1 - 0 (1) | Hanshin | |
| '14 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 4 - 3 | SoftBank | |
| '14 Pacific First | Pacific | First | ORIX (2) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 1 - 2 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '13 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Hiroshima (3) | 4 - 0 | Yomiuri | |
| '13 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs Hiroshima (3) | 0 - 2 | Hiroshima | |
| '13 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Rakuten (1) vs Lotte (3) | 4 - 1 | Rakuten | |
| '13 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Seibu (2) vs Lotte (3) | 1 - 2 | Lotte | |
| '12 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Chunichi (2) | 4 - 3 | Yomiuri | |
| '12 Central First | Central | First | Chunichi (2) vs Yakult (3) | 2 - 1 | Chunichi | |
| '12 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Nippon-Ham (1) vs SoftBank (3) | 4 - 0 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '12 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Seibu (2) vs SoftBank (3) | 1 - 2 | SoftBank | |
| '11 Central Final | Central | Final | Chunichi (1) vs Yakult (2) | 4 - 2 | Chunichi | |
| '11 Central First | Central | First | Yakult (2) vs Yomiuri (3) | 2 - 1 | Yakult | |
| '11 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Seibu (3) | 4 - 0 | SoftBank | |
| '11 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Nippon-Ham (2) vs Seibu (3) | 0 - 2 | Seibu | |
| '10 Central Final | Central | Final | Chunichi (1) vs Yomiuri (3) | 4 - 1 | Chunichi | |
| '10 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs Yomiuri (3) | 0 - 2 | Yomiuri | |
| '10 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | SoftBank (1) vs Lotte (3) | 3 - 4 | Lotte | Upset |
| '10 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Seibu (2) vs Lotte (3) | 0 - 2 | Lotte | |
| '09 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Chunichi (2) | 4 - 1 | Yomiuri | |
| '09 Central First | Central | First | Chunichi (2) vs Yakult (3) | 2 - 1 | Chunichi | |
| '09 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Nippon-Ham (1) vs Rakuten (2) | 4 - 1 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '09 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Rakuten (2) vs SoftBank (3) | 2 - 0 | Rakuten | |
| '08 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Chunichi (3) | 3 - 1 (1) | Yomiuri | |
| '08 Central First | Central | First | Hanshin (2) vs Chunichi (3) | 1 - 2 | Chunichi | |
| '08 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Seibu (1) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 4 - 2 | Seibu | |
| '08 Pacific First | Pacific | First | ORIX (2) vs Nippon-Ham (3) | 0 - 2 | Nippon-Ham | |
| '07 Central Final | Central | Final | Yomiuri (1) vs Chunichi (2) | 0 - 3 | Chunichi | * |
| '07 Central First | Central | First | Chunichi (2) vs Hanshin (3) | 2 - 0 | Chunichi | |
| '07 Pacific Final | Pacific | Final | Nippon-Ham (1) vs Lotte (2) | 3 - 2 | Nippon-Ham | * |
| '07 Pacific First | Pacific | First | Lotte (2) vs SoftBank (3) | 2 - 1 | Lotte |
In the Climax Series Final Stage the win column includes the league champion's advantage wins.
* In 2020 the Central League held no Climax Series, and the Pacific League skipped the First Stage and played a 4-game Final Stage (a 1-win advantage for the champion).
* In 2007 the Final Stage was played without an advantage for the champion.
How far ahead were the pennant winners who lost, and would the new format have saved them? Climax Series upsets and games back
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Climax Series record by club
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| Club | Series | Finals | Japan Series | Lost as top seed |
Beat the top seed |
Games | Losing streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoftBank | 22 | 14 | 10 (2026) | 1 | 2 | 48 - 31 | — |
| Yomiuri | 20 | 12 | 5 (2019) | 3 | — | 28 - 37 (2) | 4 |
| Nippon-Ham | 17 | 9 | 4 (2016) | — | — | 32 - 29 | 1 |
| Chunichi | 10 | 6 | 3 (2011) | — | 1 | 22 - 14 (1) | 1 |
| Hanshin | 17 | 6 | 3 (2025) | 1 | 1 | 19 - 28 (1) | 1 |
| DeNA | 13 | 5 | 3 (2026) | — | 3 | 25 - 17 | — |
| Yakult | 8 | 4 | 3 (2022) | — | — | 14 - 11 (1) | — |
| ORIX | 6 | 3 | 3 (2023) | — | — | 9 - 8 (1) | 1 |
| Hiroshima | 8 | 5 | 2 (2018) | 1 | — | 11 - 12 (1) | 1 |
| Lotte | 15 | 7 | 1 (2010) | — | 1 | 20 - 26 (2) | 2 |
| Seibu | 11 | 4 | 1 (2008) | 2 | — | 10 - 25 | 8 |
| Rakuten | 7 | 3 | 1 (2013) | — | — | 11 - 11 (1) | 3 |
The longest wait for a Japan Series berth through the Climax Series belongs to Seibu, last there in 2008.
Series counts First and Final Stages separately; Japan Series counts Final Stage wins (the year in brackets is the latest); Games is the win-loss (tie) record without advantage wins; Losing streak counts consecutive series lost.
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