The "SMBC Japan Series 2026" will begin on October 24th. Fukuoka Softbank, winners of the "PERSOL CS Pa," will face Yokohama DeNA, who advanced with six wins in six games from the first baseman stage, for the first time in two years.

Both teams have veterans who show no signs of slowing down. They are Fukuoka Softbank's Yuki Yanagita and Yokohama DeNA's Toshiro Miyazaki, both born in 1988 and having reached their 38th season this year.

Yuki Yanagita, who hit .300 for the first time in five years, continues to perform well in the Japan Series.

Yanagita, who struggled with injuries the year before last and last year, played in 128 games this season, his 16th as a professional, with his number of appearances exceeding 100 for the first time in three years. He hit 19 Home Runs, reaching double digits for the first time in three years, and produced 70 RBI, tying for 5th in the Pacific League.

Furthermore, his batting average was a strong .302, exceeding .300 for the first time in five years since 2021 and ranking third in the Pacific League. He contributed to the team's third consecutive Persol Pacific League championship, leaving a strong impression that he is still at the top of his game.

Yanagita has appeared in the Japan Series eight times so far (although the team appeared in 2011, Yanagita, who was a rookie at the time, was not on the roster). Surprisingly, while he has never won the Series MVP, he has been selected as an Outstanding Player five times, including last year.

He has hit a home run in five consecutive tournaments since 2018, and in 2020 and last year, his reliability in short-term battles remained unchanged with a .400 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. Last year, when facing the Hanshin Tigers, he recorded 10 hits in 5 games.

Of the eight Japan Series in which Yanagita has appeared, the only one where he missed out on the championship was, surprisingly, the 2024 series against Yokohama DeNA. As a member of the 2026 Hawks lineup, which has grown even more formidable, he hopes to avenge the loss from two years ago.

Toshiro Miyazaki is in his 14th year exclusively with Yokohama, contributing to the team's first Climax Series breakthrough in two years.

On the other hand, Yokohama DeNA's Miyazaki was born on December 12, 1988. He is a third baseman who joined from Sega Sammy as the 6th draft pick in 2012 and has reached his 14th year solely with The BayStars this year. He won the Central League leading hitter title in 2017 with a .323 average and in 2023 with a .326 average. He has also been selected for the Best Nine three times, in 2017, 2018, and 2023.

Miyazaki's characteristic is his bat control. Two years ago during the interleague period, the PERSOL Pacific League TV official YouTube channel featured Miyazaki hitting home runs to both left and right. Take a look at him sending the ball grandly into the stands with his soft swing.

Last season, he played in fewer than 100 games for the first time in 10 years, but this season he appeared in 111 games with a .254 batting average. He hit 11 Home Runs, reaching double digits for the first time in two years.

He has also contributed significantly to this Japan Series advancement. In the first game of the CS first baseman stage, he had 2 hits in 3 At Bats against The Giants' left-handed pitcher Haruto Inoue. In the final stage against the Hanshin Tigers, he was in the starting line-up for all four games. In the first game, he hit a valuable opening RBI single off pitcher Shoki Murakami, and in the fourth game, he supported the surge with 2 hits and 2 RBI in 3 At Bats, including an opening sacrifice fly and an RBI single during the 8th-inning rally. From the perspective of Fukuoka Softbank, who they will face in the series, they will likely want to prevent Miyazaki from doing his job in order to keep their runs to a minimum.

Yanagita, whose true essence is his powerful batting that is often described as superhuman. Miyazaki, who fascinates with his skilled bat control. With the batting techniques that have surprised many baseball fans until now, they are sure to liven up the big finale of the 2026 season.

Text by Ayako Kikuchi