SMBC Japan Series 2026 Game 4: Softbank Hawks vs. DeNA (28th, Mizuho PayPay)

The Softbank Hawks achieved four consecutive victories over DeNA and were crowned Japan Series champions for the 13th time, marking their second consecutive year.

After clinching a runaway victory in the regular season with an 11.5-game lead over the second-place Seibu Lions, they went on an unstoppable seven-game winning streak in the postseason. This marked their sixth Japan Series title in the past ten years.

It is truly a state of 'absolute dominance.' Hideki Matsui, who was appointed as the new manager of The Giants on the 23rd, described the strength of the Softbank Hawks in recent years as a 'golden age.' At his inaugural press conference, he made this powerful declaration regarding the reconstruction of the ever-victorious Giants.

I believe that since the V9 era, the Giants have likely not achieved consecutive championships in Japan. Personally, I feel that a true golden age has not returned since V9; during that time, we have completely failed to create an era like that of The Lions in the 80s or The Hawks over the past decade or so. I want to start from here today so that a new golden age will come to the Giants.

For the new manager Matsui, there are only three teams in Japan that can be called 'Golden Eras': The Giants during their V9 era, the Seibu Lions from the 80s to the early 90s, and the Softbank Hawks in recent years. The overwhelming strength of The Hawks, who are currently embodying a 'single-power' dominance, is likely close to the ideal that the new manager Matsui aims for with The Giants.

It is not just about reinforcements utilizing abundant financial power, as represented by Kondo, Yamakawa, and Osuna. Senga and Kai, who supported the team from the late 2010s, grew into key players from the developmental draft. Current mainstays Makihara Dai, Shuto, and Moinelo also came from the developmental system. New talents like Masaki and Shoji are also emerging.

On the 22nd, they selected the number one college pitcher, Taisei Suzuki from Aoyama Gakuin University, as their first-round draft pick. They conducted a draft on a completely different level from other teams, selecting a record-breaking 24 players, including four "re-imported players." Their developmental environment, supported by a four-team system, continues to improve steadily. Their momentum suggests that this golden age is likely to continue for some time.