short stop, who are the linchpins of infield, lead the team both offensively and defensively.

In the 2026 Pacific League, short stop from each team are making their presence felt. A notable feature is the improvement in the batting statistics of regular players, and it can be said that many players are literally leading their teams both offensively and defensively.

This time, we'll introduce the players who have played short stop in 10 or more games in Pacific League this season, broken defense by team. We'll review the performances of these short stop who are working hard as key players for their teams, and look forward to their continued success in the future. (*Statistics are as of the end of games on July 26th, and "Games Played at Shortstop" in the table indicates the number of games played at short stop.)

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

　Tatsuki Mizuno has played defense in a team-high 84 games, solidifying his position as a short stop. His batting average of .291 ranks 5th in the league, and his OPS of .780 ranks 8th, demonstrating a very high level of offensive contribution, and he is steadily growing into an undeniable core player for the team.

　Shu Yamagata played in 57 games as short stop in 2025 and performed well in the postseason, but this season he has only played in 14 games so far, showing a slight decrease in opportunities to short stop at shortstop. On the other hand, he has shown his versatility by playing in 10 games as second baseman and 18 games as third baseman, and he will be looking to expand his opportunities to play by showing a recovery in his batting performance.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

　In his rookie year in 2025, Rui Rui Muneyama short stop in 116 games, reaching the required number of defense appearances and recording a batting average of .260, earning him a spot on the Best Nine team. However, this season, an injury before the season started delayed his first appearance in the first team until July, and he has been struggling since his return, batting only .179. Hopefully, he will regain his form and once again showcase his impressive playing style.

　Itsuki Murabayashi primarily played third baseman in 2025 and won the most hit title, but this season, due to Muneyama's injury, he has returned to short stop, his main position before 2024. Despite the increased defense burden, he has maintained an excellent batting average of .284, similar to the previous year, and has shown strong hitting in crucial situations. With Muneyama's return, he is currently playing second baseman, supporting the team with a wide range of roles.

Saitama Seibu Lions

　Until last season, batting was a major weakness for Natsuo Takizawa, but this season he has had a breakthrough at the plate, batting .295, the fourth highest in the league. He has also shown high-level defense skills, playing both second base and shortstop, demonstrating once again that he has the ability to be a key player in infield defense. He is showing great performance both offensively and defensively, and this season is shaping up to be a breakout one for him.

　Sosuke Genda had a stellar performance as the Japanese national team's short stop in the World Baseball Classic held before the season began, but since the season started, he has been struggling with a low batting average of .206, continuing his low performance from the previous year. Nevertheless, he has played in a team-high 76 games as short stop, and has posted a good monthly batting average of .444 in July, so all eyes are on whether this veteran, who has won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award for seven consecutive years, can make a comeback.

Chiba Lotte Marines

　Atsuki Tomosugi had a great month in April, batting .366, bringing his current batting average to .249, surpassing his career average of .230. He also made numerous great defense plays, saving the team on several occasions, and has been a regular player both offensively and defensively since late April. He was removed from the first-team roster on July 22nd due to a fever, but we hope to see him in good health and play well in the second half of the season.

While 　Ryusei Ogawa currently plays as second baseman, in the early part of the season, before Tomosugi secured the starting short stop position, he played both second base and shortstop, making the most of his wide defense range. Tsuyoshi Yamazaki, who transferred from Tohoku Rakuten Eagles last offseason and was registered as a regular player on June 5th, also played in 16 games as short stop, recording a respectable batting average of .279. A notable characteristic of the team is the abundance of highly versatile players.

Orix Buffaloes

　Kotaro Kobayashi has played in a team-high 87 games as short stop, and no other player has played in more than 10 games at short stop. Kurebayashi has already hit a career-high 12 Home Run and recorded a career-high OPS of .740. He has a very good chance of having a career-best season so far, surpassing last season when he recorded an OPS of over .700 for the first time.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Fukuoka Softbank, currently leading the league, have four players playing shortstop.

​Yudai Shoji in his second year as short stop, played in a team-high 46 games at defense and showcased his strengths with 14 stolen base, third in the league. Although he showed signs of fatigue, with a monthly batting average in the .100s for two consecutive months from June onwards, the question remains whether he can bounce back and have a breakout season. In contrast, Isami Nomura who had a monthly batting average in the .100s in April and May, showed a recovery in June with a batting average of .333 and Home Run, and continued his good form in July with a monthly batting average of .292. All eyes are on whether he can replicate his comeback from last season.

​Kenta Imamiya, in his 17th professional season, has been short stop for a long time, but is struggling with a batting average of .197. However, in addition to his primary short stop of second baseman, he has played in 11 games at second base and 2 games at third baseman base. Akira Kawase has also played in all infield positions, 21 games at short stop, 15 games at second baseman, 3 games at first baseman third baseman, and 2 games at first base, showing solid performance as a super-sub, as he has defense in previous years.

Will short stop of each team continue to shine and showcase a variety of high-level plays in the future?

A notable feature is that most of short stop on the team, including fielder’s choice, Murabayashi, Takizawa, Tomosugi, and Kurebayashi, have posted batting statistics above their career average. In Fukuoka Softbank, 23-year-old Shoji is making a name for himself with his speed, and Isami Nomura has also significantly improved his form since June, so the competition for a starting position going forward will be worth watching.

Will short stop of each team continue to excel both offensively and defensively, leading their teams as key players in infield? With more players than usual showing high-level performance this season, it will be well worth paying attention to each player's play for the remainder of the season.

Written by Ryota Mochizuki