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. 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. 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 table below is a quick view of each team's current lines. The player boards - who has reached the line or sits near it, and how much remains - are split into separate Central League and Pacific League pages because of their volume. 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.
Qualification and titles: races are league by league
The batting title (batting average) and the on-base percentage title are chosen from batters who have reached the qualifying plate appearances, and the ERA title from pitchers who have reached the qualifying innings - each within its own league. The league rankings for average and ERA likewise cover only qualified players. Counting titles such as home runs, RBIs, wins and strikeouts do not require qualification.
Among rate titles, the winning-percentage title is the exception: its requirement is 13 or more wins, not qualifying innings (the standard unified across both leagues since 2013). For the batting and on-base titles there is also a special provision - if a batter would still rank first after all his missing plate appearances were counted as outs, the title is awarded - but it has never been applied to the top-level batting or on-base titles (as of 2026).
Reference data
The table below is reference data compiled by this site, not an official announcement.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026
Qualification thresholds by team
Central League
- Hiroshima 108 of 143 games 35 games left Required PA335 Required IP108
- Chunichi 115 of 143 games 28 games left Required PA357 Required IP115
- DeNA 112 of 143 games 31 games left Required PA347 Required IP112
- Yomiuri 113 of 143 games 30 games left Required PA350 Required IP113
- Yakult 111 of 143 games 32 games left Required PA344 Required IP111
- Hanshin 111 of 143 games 32 games left Required PA344 Required IP111
Pacific League
- ORIX 114 of 143 games 29 games left Required PA353 Required IP114
- Rakuten 111 of 143 games 32 games left Required PA344 Required IP111
- Nippon-Ham 116 of 143 games 27 games left Required PA360 Required IP116
- SoftBank 112 of 143 games 31 games left Required PA347 Required IP112
- Seibu 116 of 143 games 27 games left Required PA360 Required IP116
- Lotte 109 of 143 games 34 games left Required PA338 Required IP109
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.
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.