Nippon-Ham lose 2-6 in their game against the Softbank Hawks (Mizuho PayPay) on the 16th. They failed to advance to the Japan Series. Atsushi Kataoka, who appeared as a commentator on the CS Fuji TV ONE program 'Pro baseball News 2026' broadcast on the 16th, commented: 'The good point for Nippon-Ham this year was that many home run were hit, while the bad point was that there were many errors. Games where runs increased due to mistakes and they ended up losing wins, like the first game the other day, were quite noticeable. I think that was the difference.' Similarly, commentator Akio Saito commented: 'They lost three consecutive games right after the season opened, didn't they? I think the feeling that the Nippon-Ham players had to do it... that they had to win, ended up being counterproductive. I think there were many games where trivial errors led to runs.'

Additionally, the program's MC, Motonobu Tanishige, commented, "With such a significant difference in their head-to-head records, I believe the Softbank Hawks did a considerable amount of research. I think the Softbank Hawks felt they couldn't win the championship this year without surpassing Nippon-Ham. Therefore, I want Nippon-Ham to thoroughly investigate and expose the Softbank Hawks as they prepare for next year."

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"