In a Japan Series showdown with a clear favorite and a scrappy underdog, only one team can remain.
Showcasing a rematch of the 2017 Japan Series, the DeNA Baystars will take on the SoftBank Hawks starting this upcoming Saturday, October 26.
Although both teams inevitably punched their ticket, they took wildly different paths to do so. DeNA punched their ticket after almost being reverse-swept by the Yomiuri Giants, who once trailed 3-0 in the series. Shugo Maki’s RBI single in the 9th propelled the Baystars to a game seven win — celebrating accordingly afterward.
Yasutaka Tobashira enters play as the Central League Climax Series MVP for the BayStars, hitting .346 with 1 HR and 6 RBI.
On the other hand, the Hawks punched their ticket in stress-free fashion, sweeping the Nippon-Ham Fighters and earning a nearly two-week break between games.
Headlined by Shinichi Ohnuki, The Hawks’ pitching staff is a clear strength of the team, with the backend of the bullpen starring former MLB player Roberto Ozuna.
Another key storyline to follow is, according to GaijinBaseball, On paper, the Hawks will enter with a team WAR of 61.1. However, on paper, the BayStars will enter with a significantly lower tally of 36.9.
All games for the Japan Series between the DeNA Baystars and the SoftBank Hawks can be watched on DAZN.
Japan Series Schedule (All Times in EST)
* indicates if necessary
Game One: Saturday, October 26, 5:30 a.m.
Game Two: Sunday, October 27, 5:00 a.m.
Game Three: Tuesday, October 29, 5:30 a.m.
Game Four: Wednesday, October 30, 5:30 a.m.
Game Five*: Thursday, October 31, 5:00 a.m.
Game Six*: Saturday, November 2, 5:30 a.m.
Game Seven*: Sunday, November 3, 5:30 a.m.
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WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
