After an intense battle with 15 contenders within three wins of the lead, will a new champion be crowned?

This season's Pacific League race for the most wins is a massive logjam, with 15 pitchers crowded within three wins of the top. Since 2024, pitchers Hiromi Ito and Kohei Arihara have shared the title for most wins for two consecutive years, but this season there is a strong possibility that a new titleholder will emerge.

This time, we will look at the lineup of pitchers who have recorded 8 or more wins in the Pacific League this season and check each pitcher's performance. Furthermore, we will introduce several rare records that the pitchers competing for the most wins this season might achieve, and provide an outlook for the title race going forward. (*Records are as of the end of games on August 27)

Led by three pitchers who have already recorded double-digit wins, many talented players are competing for the title.

　Takayuki Kato pitcher and Espinoza pitcher currently lead the league with 11 wins, leading the Haller Derby. Kaima Taira pitcher, Yugo Maeda pitcher, and Ryosuke Otsu pitcher are second in the league with 10 wins, followed by Akira Yagi pitcher, Koki Kitayama pitcher, Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher, and Jackson pitcher, all chasing the leading group with 9 wins and two wins.

Furthermore, Chihiro Sumida pitcher, Mitsunari Takahashi pitcher, Alen Kuri pitcher, Taiga Kamichatani pitcher, Haru Matsumoto pitcher, and Ito pitcher have recorded 8 wins, leaving them three wins behind the top spot and still within reach. As the results of the past two seasons show, there is still a strong possibility that multiple pitcher will win titles this season as well.

There is also the possibility that a number of extremely rare records will be achieved.

Next, let's look at the records that could be achieved through this season's most wins competition. As of August 27, neither Takashi Kato pitcher nor Maeda pitcher had reached the required innings pitched, and they could have earned the most wins without reaching the innings pitched. There have only been three cases where the player won the most wins without reaching the required innings pitched, and Pacific League was the only Shuta Ishikawa pitcher in 2020, making it an extremely rare record.

Also, pitcher Yagi, who currently has 9 wins, has not started a single game this season and has only appeared as a reliever, making it into the race for most wins. In NPB, the only case where a player won most wins without starting was Akimitsu Ito pitcher (then Yakult) in 1988, and since Pacific League has never been recorded in the past, if pitcher Yagi wins the title, it could become a historic achievement.

Also, Yu Maeda pitcher, who currently has 10 wins, has not suffered a loss this season and currently maintains a 100% winning percentage. Additionally, pitcher Yagi maintains a .100 winning percentage with a 9-0 record, and it is interesting that there is still a possibility of multiple undefeated pitcher hitting double-digit win.

The only pitcher who met the conditions for the highest winning percentage and achieved a 100% winning percentage are Shigehiro Mashiba in 1981 (then Nippon-Ham) and Masahiro Tanaka pitcher (then Tohoku Rakuten Eagles) in 2013. This season's Pacific League could set a third major record in 13 years since pitcher Tanaka, so it seems highly worthwhile to watch the upcoming games of Yu Maeda pitcher and pitcher Yagi.

Currently, pitcher Kuri has 8 wins, and he won the most wins title in 2021 during his time with Hiroshima, and if he wins the title this season, he will be crowned in both the Central and Pacific leagues. There has never been a single pitcher in the long history of NPB to win the most wins in either league. In other words, if pitcher Kuri comes from behind to win the title, it will set an unprecedented record.

In terms of both scoring ability and winning percentage, A-class teams provide an advantage to pitchers.

Finally, let's look at the winning percentages and batting statistics for each team in Pacific League this season.

While Fukuoka Softbank has scored 561 runs and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham has scored 487, Saitama Seibu Lions has scored 419, Orix Buffaloes has scored 415, and Tohoku Rakuten Eagles and Chiba Lotte Marines are both in the 300s. It seems that there is a considerable difference in scoring ability among the teams in Pacific League this season.

Furthermore, the gap between third-placed Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and fourth-placed Orix Buffaloes is currently seven games, indicating a slight widening in terms of winning percentage. From the perspectives of offensive support and the frequency of team win, it can be seen that the A-class teams are naturally giving pitcher an advantage.

Fukuoka Softbank, with the league's top batting average and runs scored, and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, with a league-leading 144 Home Run, are in a favorable position in terms of offensive support. Saitama Seibu Lions and Orix Buffaloes have been plagued by injuries to key players, so how they assemble their batting lineups in the final stages of the season will be a crucial factor in supporting pitcher.

Will a rare record-breaking moment await at the end of this fierce battle for the most wins?

Fukuoka Softbank 's pitcher Yu Maeda and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's pitcher Takashi Kato, both from teams with high scoring ability and a consistently high winning percentage, are considered to have an advantage in future title races. Additionally, pitcher Otsu, pitcher, and Haru Matsumoto pitcher Fukuoka Softbank, and pitcher and pitcher from Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Ham, also seem to have a good chance of rising in the title races.

Whether pitcher Espinoza and pitcher can win titles will likely be influenced to some extent by the team's performance going forward. While Saitama Seibu Lions 's pitcher has reached 10 wins, pitcher, pitcher, and Takahashi pitcher have also achieved double-digit win, so they will be hoping to make further progress in the title race in conjunction with the team's efforts.

The race for the most wins title remains a close contest, with pitcher Yagi aiming to become the first reliever in Pacific League history to win the title, and pitcher Jackson, who is fighting hard in his first year in Pacific League. It will be well worth watching pitch of each pitcher going forward to see who will emerge victorious from this fierce competition and claim the title.

Written by Ryota Mochizuki