Some pitchers take the mound in games where their team trails by 7 or 8 runs. This role, called "mop-up duty," does not lead directly to wins, yet it is indispensable for running a team. Why are mop-up pitchers necessary? What goes through their minds as they pitch? This article looks at the reality of the most grueling position in the bullpen.
In Kyuji Fujikawa's first year as manager, the 2025 Hanshin Tigers led the Central League in walks and steals, posted a 2.21 team ERA and clinched the pennant on September 7. From Daichi Ishii's 50-game scoreless streak to the awards and attendance.
The relief pitcher's warm-up area is called a 'bullpen,' literally a 'bull's enclosure.' Why? Three competing theories involving tobacco ads, bullfighting, and prison cells offer possible answers.
Analyzing the JFK relay pattern (Jeff Williams, Kyuji Fujikawa, Tomoyuki Kubota) that powered Hanshin's 2005 championship.
Left-handed pitchers hold rare tactical value in NPB. This article traces their evolution from one-out specialist golden age through MLB rule changes to the emergence of left-handed closers.
A 'bullpen day' where teams navigate a game through relay pitching without a traditional starter. This article examines the possibilities and limitations of this tactic, still uncommon in NPB, through actual cases and data.
How NPB bullpen management evolved from the 2005 Hanshin JFK trio through modern specialization, opener tactics, and data-driven reliever deployment.
Once dismissed as mop-up duty, relief pitching now determines wins and losses. This article traces the evolution of the closer role in NPB through data and tactical analysis.
NPB's 12-inning tie rule produces roughly 1 to 8 ties per team in a normal season, and more than 20 for some teams in years when extra innings were shortened or suspended. Tied games look random at first glance, but breaking down each franchise's tie rate and tied-game profile reveals patterns in late-inning bullpen management, pinch-hitting, and bench philosophy. We analyze NPB's bench culture through the lens of tied games.
An in-depth analysis of analysis of the closer role evolution - the lineage of closers, exploring before the save rule - relief in the complete game era and ..