NPB Qualifying PA and Innings: Team-by-Team Thresholds (2026)

Data as of Aug 16, 2026

Central League

Required PA 338
Required IP 109

As of the league-leading 109 games played

Pacific League

Required PA 344
Required IP 111

As of the league-leading 111 games played

To appear in the batting-average or ERA rankings, a player must clear a playing-time threshold: qualifying plate appearances for batters, qualifying innings for pitchers. The line is derived from the team's games played, so it moves through the season and differs by team. This page explains the definitions and shows the current progress as reference data.

Qualifying plate appearances: team games x 3.1, rounded

Rate stats such as batting average, on-base percentage and slugging can swing wildly for players with few appearances, so NPB sets a qualification line: only batters with enough plate appearances are ranked and eligible for titles such as the batting championship.

The line is team games x 3.1, rounded to the nearest integer (per the note on npb.jp's batting leaders page). In 2025, every club played 143 official games, so the full-season line was 143 x 3.1 = 443.3, rounded to 443 plate appearances.

Qualifying innings: team games x 1.0

For pitchers the line is qualifying innings: team games x 1.0, i.e. as many innings as the team has played (per the note on npb.jp's pitching leaders page). In a 143-game season that means 143 innings; only pitchers at or above the line are ranked for ERA and eligible for the ERA title.

It works out to an average of one inning per team game, so in practice only pitchers who hold a rotation spot all season get there; relievers rarely reach the line in the modern game.

Mid-season thresholds differ by team: how to read the table

Because the thresholds are computed from each team's games played, mid-season lines differ from team to team on the same day - rainouts and scheduling spread the pace. A team with 94 games played, for example, has a batting line of 94 x 3.1 = 291.4, rounded to 291 plate appearances, and a pitching line of 94 innings.

The reference tables below show each team's current lines, plus the players who have reached the line or sit near it, with how many plate appearances or innings remain. Stats split across teams by a mid-season transfer are not combined.

Why reaching the line matters

The 3.1-per-game coefficient roughly corresponds to starting nearly every game in the top or middle of the order. Miss time through injury or a slump and the line quickly slips away - reaching it is itself proof of a full season as a regular.

The same goes for qualifying innings: with today's once-a-week starting rotations, a pitcher needs to sustain both his starts and his innings per start to get there. That is why the batting and ERA titles are awarded on rates built on top of the qualification line.

Reference data

The table below is reference data compiled by this site, not an official announcement.

Data as of Aug 16, 2026

Qualification thresholds by team

Central League

  • Hiroshima 102 of 143 games Required PA316 Required IP102
  • Chunichi 109 of 143 games Required PA338 Required IP109
  • DeNA 107 of 143 games Required PA332 Required IP107
  • Yomiuri 107 of 143 games Required PA332 Required IP107
  • Yakult 105 of 143 games Required PA326 Required IP105
  • Hanshin 106 of 143 games Required PA329 Required IP106

Pacific League

  • ORIX 109 of 143 games Required PA338 Required IP109
  • Rakuten 105 of 143 games Required PA326 Required IP105
  • Nippon-Ham 111 of 143 games Required PA344 Required IP111
  • SoftBank 107 of 143 games Required PA332 Required IP107
  • Seibu 110 of 143 games Required PA341 Required IP110
  • Lotte 104 of 143 games Required PA322 Required IP104

Legend: Reached Within 5% More than 5% to go Qualifying line (per team)

Central League - Progress toward the PA threshold (batters)

0 Season-end line 443 (143 games)
  • 森下 翔太 (Hanshin) 462 / 329 Reached
  • 細川 成也 (Chunichi) 458 / 338 Reached
  • 佐藤 輝明 (Hanshin) 451 / 329 Reached
  • 村松 開人 (Chunichi) 435 / 338 Reached
  • 中野 拓夢 (Hanshin) 434 / 329 Reached
  • 大山 悠輔 (Hanshin) 433 / 329 Reached
  • ダルベック (Yomiuri) 422 / 332 Reached
  • 佐野 恵太 (DeNA) 410 / 332 Reached
  • 坂倉 将吾 (Hiroshima) 403 / 316 Reached
  • 小園 海斗 (Hiroshima) 401 / 316 Reached
  • 長岡 秀樹 (Yakult) 377 / 326 Reached
  • 菊池 涼介 (Hiroshima) 373 / 316 Reached
  • 浦田 俊輔 (Yomiuri) 370 / 332 Reached
  • 泉口 友汰 (Yomiuri) 369 / 332 Reached
  • サンタナ (Yakult) 363 / 326 Reached
  • 岩田 幸宏 (Yakult) 349 / 326 Reached
  • 度会 隆輝 (DeNA) 347 / 332 Reached
  • キャベッジ (Yomiuri) 344 / 332 Reached
  • 牧 秀悟 (DeNA) 317 / 332 15 to go
  • 勝又 温史 (DeNA) 316 / 332 16 to go
  • 松本 剛 (Yomiuri) 316 / 332 16 to go
  • 増田 珠 (Yakult) 307 / 326 19 to go

Pacific League - Progress toward the PA threshold (batters)

0 Season-end line 443 (143 games)
  • 西川 龍馬 (ORIX) 465 / 338 Reached
  • 栗原 陵矢 (SoftBank) 464 / 332 Reached
  • 近藤 健介 (SoftBank) 446 / 332 Reached
  • レイエス (Nippon-Ham) 443 / 344 Reached
  • 水野 達稀 (Nippon-Ham) 440 / 344 Reached
  • 辰己 涼介 (Rakuten) 440 / 326 Reached
  • 周東 佑京 (SoftBank) 436 / 332 Reached
  • 西川 史礁 (Lotte) 427 / 322 Reached
  • 万波 中正 (Nippon-Ham) 413 / 344 Reached
  • 渡部 聖弥 (Seibu) 412 / 341 Reached
  • 宗 佑磨 (ORIX) 410 / 338 Reached
  • 村林 一輝 (Rakuten) 410 / 326 Reached
  • 黒川 史陽 (Rakuten) 400 / 326 Reached
  • 牧原 大成 (SoftBank) 394 / 332 Reached
  • 紅林 弘太郎 (ORIX) 393 / 338 Reached
  • カナリオ (Seibu) 389 / 341 Reached
  • 滝澤 夏央 (Seibu) 388 / 341 Reached
  • 清宮 幸太郎 (Nippon-Ham) 387 / 344 Reached
  • 中川 圭太 (ORIX) 382 / 338 Reached
  • 太田 椋 (ORIX) 372 / 338 Reached
  • 小川 龍成 (Lotte) 372 / 322 Reached
  • 柳田 悠岐 (SoftBank) 354 / 332 Reached
  • 浅村 栄斗 (Rakuten) 333 / 326 Reached
  • ソト (Lotte) 321 / 322 1 to go
  • 佐藤 都志也 (Lotte) 318 / 322 4 to go
  • 正木 智也 (SoftBank) 326 / 332 6 to go
  • 藤原 恭大 (Lotte) 308 / 322 14 to go
  • 野村 佑希 (Nippon-Ham) 321 / 344 23 to go

Central League - Progress toward the IP threshold (pitchers)

0 Season-end line 143 (143 games)
  • 村上 頌樹 (Hanshin) 138.1 / 106 Reached
  • 柳 裕也 (Chunichi) 125 / 109 Reached
  • 才木 浩人 (Hanshin) 124 / 106 Reached
  • 金丸 夢斗 (Chunichi) 121.1 / 109 Reached
  • 髙橋 遥人 (Hanshin) 121.1 / 106 Reached
  • 東 克樹 (DeNA) 117 / 107 Reached
  • 奥川 恭伸 (Yakult) 115 / 105 Reached
  • 山野 太一 (Yakult) 113.1 / 105 Reached
  • 井上 温大 (Yomiuri) 106 / 107 1 to go
  • 大野 雄大 (Chunichi) 107 / 109 2 to go
  • 床田 寛樹 (Hiroshima) 98.1 / 102 3.2 to go
  • 竹丸 和幸 (Yomiuri) 103 / 107 4 to go
  • 森下 暢仁 (Hiroshima) 92.2 / 102 9.1 to go
  • 岡本 駿 (Hiroshima) 92.1 / 102 9.2 to go

Pacific League - Progress toward the IP threshold (pitchers)

0 Season-end line 143 (143 games)
  • 伊藤 大海 (Nippon-Ham) 134.2 / 111 Reached
  • 九里 亜蓮 (ORIX) 127 / 109 Reached
  • 隅田 知一郎 (Seibu) 127 / 110 Reached
  • ジャクソン (Lotte) 124 / 104 Reached
  • 武内 夏暉 (Seibu) 115.2 / 110 Reached
  • 髙橋 光成 (Seibu) 113.2 / 110 Reached
  • 大津 亮介 (SoftBank) 112.1 / 107 Reached
  • 渡邉 勇太朗 (Seibu) 112.1 / 110 Reached
  • 荘司 康誠 (Rakuten) 111 / 105 Reached
  • エスピノーザ (ORIX) 109 / 109 Reached
  • 早川 隆久 (Rakuten) 107 / 105 Reached
  • 北山 亘基 (Nippon-Ham) 110.1 / 111 0.2 to go
  • 平良 海馬 (Seibu) 103 / 110 7 to go
  • 加藤 貴之 (Nippon-Ham) 102 / 111 9 to go

Frequently asked questions

How many plate appearances are required to qualify?

Team games x 3.1, rounded to the nearest integer. In a 143-game season that is 443 (143 x 3.1 = 443.3). Mid-season it is computed from the team's games played, so it changes daily.

How many innings are required to qualify?

Team games x 1.0 - the same number of innings as games the team has played. In a 143-game season, 143 innings.

Are the farm-league thresholds different?

Yes. On the farm, qualifying PA are team games x 2.7 (rounded) and qualifying innings are team games x 0.8 (rounded to the nearest third of an inning) - lower than the top level, per the notes on npb.jp's farm stats pages.

What is the difference between plate appearances and at-bats?

A plate appearance is every trip to the plate; an at-bat excludes walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies. Batting average is hits divided by at-bats, but the qualification line counts plate appearances.

Sources and references

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