Just like the competition standings, the battle for the title is also fierce.

The Pacific League season has been a close race, and going forward, fierce competition is expected not only in standings but also in the title races. This time, we will take a look at the save rankings in Pacific League for 2026, and also introduce the characteristics and strengths of pitcher Rikuto Yokoyama Yokoyama, who currently leads the league in saves, in terms of metrics.

The following is a list of pitcher who have recorded double-digit saves in Pacific League this season, along with their pitcher statistics.

Chiba Lotte Marines 's pitcher Yokoyama has recorded 24 saves, putting him at the top of the league by four saves. pitcher pitcher Chiba Lotte Marines this season to have recorded multiple saves, and combined with his consistent performance, as evidenced by his 1.35 ERA, he has truly established himself as the team's absolute closer.

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Machado has also recorded 20 saves, second in the league, putting him within striking distance of the save title. ERA of 1.17, strike out rate of 8.80, and a K/BB ratio of 7.50, pitch performance is excellent, and all eyes are on the right-hander who contributed to his country's victory in the WBC before the start of the season, to see if he can have the best year in his third year in Japan and win his first title.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's pitcher Taisei Yanagawa has recorded 19 saves, but struggled in June with a monthly ERA of 5.63 and was removed from the active roster on June 25th. Saitama Seibu Lions 's pitcher Hakua Iwaki, a rookie who has recorded 18 saves, tied for fourth in the league, is also showing signs of fatigue with ERA of 4.15 and was removed from the active roster on June 24th. Whether or not these two pitcher can make a comeback in the second half of the season is likely to affect the title race.

Amidst this situation, Fukuoka Softbank 's Kazuki Sugiyama pitcher, who was the saves leader last season, has been performing brilliantly since returning to the first team, with a monthly ERA of 0.00 in May and 0.93 in June. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles 's closer, Shoma Fujihira, pitcher has recorded 18 saves, also struggled in May with a monthly ERA of 8.53, but showed signs of recovery in June with seven runs appearances. Both pitcher could potentially rejoin the title race depending on how things unfold from here.

In the early stages of his career, he struggled with stability, but...

Next, let's look at the year-by-year statistics recorded by pitcher Yokoyama, who currently leads Pacific League in saves.

In 2021, he posted a strike out rate of 10.24, and in 2022, 13.50, recording a very high strike out rate early in his career, though his number of appearances was low. In 2023, he continued to struck out with 39.1 inning, 42 pitches, exceeding innings pitched, and maintained excellent performance with a strike out rate of 9.61, continuing his excellent performance as his pitching opportunities increased.

On the other hand, regarding ERA, it was 4.66 in 2021, 27.00 in 2022, and 5.26 in 2023, showing challenges in maintaining pitch stability despite the high strike out rates. However, during this period, BABIP was .352 or higher for three consecutive years, far exceeding the general threshold of .300.

BABIP is generally considered an indicator that is difficult for pitcher to control and largely depends on luck. There are cases where BABIP declines early in a career due to skill issues, but for pitcher Yokoyama in 2023, who recorded an excellent strike out rate but struggled in ERA, it is undeniable that the unfortunate high number of BABIPs affected his performance.

However, the strike out rate is 7.93 in 2024 and 7.51 in 2025, showing somewhat modest strike out rates over the past two years. This season's strike out rate is 6.48, the lowest of his career, indicating a shift toward a pitch that allows hits to get hits.

The shift to pitch that relies on control and aims to induce weak contact has proven successful.

Consequently, ERA has dramatically improved to 1.71 in 2024 and 2.08 in 2025, and this season he has recorded a career-best ERA of 1.35. In the last three seasons, Avg has been below .185 and his BABIP against has been below .230, indicating a significant decrease in the number of hit he allows, demonstrating that the change in pitch style has dramatically increased his consistency.

One of the reasons pitcher Yokoyama has been able to successfully change pitch style is that he possesses a certain level of control. In 2023, when BB rate was a somewhat high 4.12, but in 2024 it was 2.79 and in 2025 it was 2.56, recording excellent figures for two consecutive years. This season BB rate has risen somewhat to 3.78, but the stability of pitch remains intact.

The low number of hit allowed and BB has a positive impact on the WHIP, an indicator that shows the average number of runner allowed per inning. For three consecutive seasons since 2024, the WHIP has been below 1.00, meaning that the number of runner allowed per inning has been one or less. It is natural to assume that the reduced number of runner on base has also contributed to the improvement in ERA.

Will pitcher Yokoyama follow in the footsteps of his two great predecessors?

Since the title was changed from "Best Relief Pitcher" to "Most Saves" in 2005, only two pitcher have won the title while playing for Chiba Lotte Marines: Masahide Kobayashi and Naoya Masuda. Following in the footsteps of these great pitcher, both of whom have amassed over 200 career saves, will pitcher Yokoyama also be able to earn this prestigious title as closer?

And will pitcher pitcher, pitcher, pitcher, pitcher, and pitcher, who have served as closer for their respective teams, be able to challenge Yokoyama's pitcher in the title race? With the exception of pitcher, five of these pitchers will be aiming for their first title, so it will be well worth watching the race for the most saves in the second half of the season.

(*Records are as of the end of the match on July 15th)

Written by Ryota Mochizuki