Koji Akiyama's Graceful Backflip - The Two-Team Star Who Shone with Seibu and Daiei
Koji Akiyama's dual legacy: 437 career home runs as Seibu's dynasty slugger, then managing the Hawks to the 2011 Japan Series championship.
Articles tagged with softbank
Kenji Johjima's Cannon Arm - The Strong-Armed Catcher Who Crossed to MLB
Kenji Johjima, the 'Cannon' catcher who hit 247 career home runs for Daiei/SoftBank before becoming the first Japanese catcher to play in MLB in 2006.
Kimiyasu Kudo's 29-Year Career and 5 Japan Series Titles - The Championship Contractor With 14 Pennants
Kimiyasu Kudo, the 'championship contractor' who experienced 14 pennants as a player, then managed SoftBank to three pennants and five Japan Series titles from 2015-2020.
Nobuhiko Matsunaka's Triple Crown - The Last Pacific League Triple Crown's Power Display
Nobuhiko Matsunaka, the left-handed slugger who hit 352 career home runs and became the Pacific League's last Triple Crown winner in 2004.
NPB Player Development Comparison - SoftBank vs Hiroshima Development Philosophies
SoftBank's three-tier mass development versus Hiroshima's selective approach: comparing two contrasting player development philosophies through specific success stories.
Hotaka Yamakawa's Sexual Assault Allegations - NPB's Ethics Under Scrutiny
In May 2023, Seibu Lions slugger Hotaka Yamakawa was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of sexual assault. Though not indicted, his free agent move to SoftBank that offseason sparked fierce debate about NPB's handling of player misconduct.
Sadaharu Oh's Daiei Revival - How the World Home Run King Built the Hawks Dynasty
Revisiting Sadaharu Oh's managerial dynasty with Daiei Hawks and 2006 WBC championship.
Kazumi Saito the Tragic Ace - Injuries That Struck the Two-Time Sawamura Winner
Kazumi Saito, the SoftBank ace who won two Sawamura Awards with 20 wins in 2003 and 18 in 2006, only to have his career effectively ended at 29 by shoulder injuries.
Kodai Senga's Ghost Fork - From SoftBank Development Pick to MLB Ace
Kodai Senga's rise from development draft pick to SoftBank ace, wielding the 'ghost forkball' with its steep drop, before his 2023 move to the New York Mets.
SoftBank Hawks Dynasty - Strongest Team of the 2010s
The SoftBank Hawks dynasty under Kimiyasu Kudo: three pennants but five Japan Series titles in six years (2015-2020), powered by Yuki Yanagita, Kodai Senga, and NPB's deepest roster.
Inside NPB's Third-Team System - The Development Layer SoftBank Pioneered
NPB teams generally operate a two-tier system of first team and second team (farm), but Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have run a third team since the 2010s, building a distinctive development pipeline. The third team gives game experience to young players who cannot break into the second team and to development-contract players, becoming a foundation that fueled SoftBank's championship era. We analyze the reality of NPB's third-team system and how it is rippling out to other franchises.