Fukuoka Softbank aims for their second consecutive championship in Japan. The team includes players who formerly belonged to Yokohama DeNA, their opponents in the Japan Series, and conversely, Yokohama DeNA has former Softbank Hawks players on their roster.

This time, we pick up six players who were included in the "SMBC Japan Series 2026" eligibility list. Let's look back at how each player made a leap forward following their transfer, ahead of the "former team showdown" on the big stage.

Active as a starter in his second year since joining through the Current Player Draft; Yuudai Yamamoto, who arrived in a surprise trade, has also become an indispensable presence.

Taiga Kamichatani pitcher joined Yokohama DeNA as the first-round draft pick in 2018. He maintained a spot in the starting rotation from his rookie year, appearing in 25 games with a record of 7 wins and 6 losses. In 2023, he pitched in 46 games as a reliever, achieving an excellent ERA of 2.11.

He moved to Fukuoka Softbank through the Active Player Draft held in December 2024. Due in part to the effects of undergoing right elbow joint cleaning surgery the following February, he made only 8 appearances in his first year with the team, but he made a significant leap forward this season, his second year.

In the first half of the season, he increased his presence in the bullpen, including long relief roles, with a monthly ERA of 1.23 in April and 6 hold in 11 games with a monthly ERA of 1.69 in May. In July, he was reassigned to the starting rotation due to team circumstances. In his first start after the transfer on July 16th against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, he secured a win with a strong performance, allowing 2 runs on 5 hit and 3 Walk while recording 9 strike out over 6 innings. He continued to pitch brilliantly as part of the rotation, recording a career-high 8 wins for the season, including 4 wins as a starter. He played a key role in the team's momentum and contributed to the Pacific League championship victory.

Yudai Yamamoto joined Yokohama DeNA as the 9th draft pick in 2017. His breakout year was 2023, his sixth year with the team. He established a battery with Yokohama DeNA's ace pitcher Katsuki Azuma and won the "2023 professional baseball Best Battery Award." In 2024, he hit .291 over 108 games, and in 2025, he continued to produce results with the bat, hitting .262.

This season, he had been leading Yokohama DeNA as the regular catcher since the opening, but on May 12, a trade involving Yamamoto, pitcher Shuto Ogata, and Tomoya Inoue was finalized, resulting in a sudden transfer to Fukuoka Softbank.

Immediately after the transfer, he was often paired in the starting line-up with young pitchers such as C. Stewart Jr., pitcher Yugo Maeda, and pitcher Haru Matsumoto, but from the second half of the season, he began to be named in the starting line-up on days when pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa, pitcher Ryosuke Otsu, and pitcher Moinelo were on the mound. On the offensive side, he hit .267 in 55 games after the transfer and hit a career-high 6 Home Run.

He missed the Japan Series two years ago during his time with Yokohama DeNA due to injury, and he has yet to face his former team because he underwent surgery to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his left hand during the interleague games immediately following his transfer. In this Japan Series, he will make a triumphant return to the familiar Yokohama Stadium and face his former teammates for the first time.

The hard-throwing pitcher who transferred from the Hawks blossomed as a starter, while the 'Strategist' became the hero of the Climax Series victory with a clutch hit in the face of adversity.

Next, we introduce players who transferred from Fukuoka Softbank to Yokohama DeNA.

Ryuhei Kuki, who joined Fukuoka Softbank as the 3rd draft pick in 2016, played as a developmental player for Yokohama DeNA starting in 2024. He returned to the active roster in March 2025, recording 3 hits in 12 At Bats over 12 games for a .250 batting average. This season, he had 2 hits in 9 games.

Masaki Mimori, who appeared in 102 games for Fukuoka Softbank in 2022 and 2023, moved to Yokohama DeNA in December 2024 via a trade for pitcher Haruhiro Hamaguchi (at the time). Since the transfer, he has shown his presence as a pinch-running ace, and this season there have been games where Mimori's legs secured a comeback win.

In the game against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on June 4th, he appeared as a pinch runner in the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied at 7-7, immediately succeeding in a stolen base to second. Furthermore, during a wild pitch, he rounded third from second base and headed straight for home. He calmly evaded the opponent's tag and slid in, leading the team to a dramatic walk-off win.

Additionally, in Game 4 of the CS Final Stage against the Hanshin Tigers, which they entered with a three-game winning streak, he did a great job with his batting despite coming off the bench. In the top of the 9th inning trailing by one run, with two outs and runners on second and third, he hit a ball to the center fielder while being cornered with two strikes. He hit a two-run timely hit for a comeback and became the hero who decided the advancement to the Japan Series.

Just as Yu Yamamoto secured a position with Fukuoka Softbank following a trade this May, two players who moved from Fukuoka Softbank to Yokohama DeNA have also blossomed.

While Shuto Ogata was a reliever during his time with Fukuoka Softbank, he was selected as a starter for Yokohama DeNA. On May 31, in an interleague game against the Saitama Seibu Lions, he made his first appearance and first start since the transfer, becoming the winning pitcher after throwing 5 innings with 2 hits, 7 strike outs, and 0 runs. On June 7, he pitched well against his former team, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 7 strike outs over 5 innings. Will he overpower them with his blazing fastballs in the Japan Series, or will the Fukuoka Softbank lineup hit back? It is a matchup to watch.

Tomoya Inoue appealed with extra-base hits after being promoted to the first team on September 1. In the game against Tokyo Yakult on September 7, he recorded his first hit since transferring with a shot to center fielder in his first at-bat. Furthermore, in his third at-bat with one out and runners on second and third, he powerfully drove his first home run since transferring, a three-run shot, into the left-field stands. The following day, he hit a two-run home run into the right-center stands for his second consecutive game with a homer. Additionally, in the CS Final Stage, he appeared from the late stages of Game 4. In the top of the ninth inning when Mimori hit the go-ahead run, and with the chance still ongoing, Tomoya Inoue hit an RBI single on the first pitch to add a valuable insurance run.

For the players who seized opportunities in their new surroundings after transferring, this year's Japan Series matchup has become fateful. Expectations are rising for what kind of legendary battles will be born.

Text by Ayako Kikuchi