Despite a slow start to the season due to three consecutive losses in their opening home series and injuries to key players, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks showed their resilience and secured their second consecutive league championship and their first Japan Series title in five years. This article will review their season, which ended with a record of 87 wins, 52 losses, and 4 ties, and a winning percentage of .626, divided into a pitcher and fielder analysis.

Moinelo, Kohei Arihara, and Tomohisa Ozeki win titles; four pitcher reach double-digit win

​Moinelo, in his second year as a pitcher, had another impressive season with a 12-3 record and a 1.46 ERA in 24 games, earning him his second consecutive Best ERA award. In June, he recorded 18 strike out in a game against the Tokyo Yakult on the 6th, tying him for third place in NPB history and the most strikeouts by a foreign player. Then, in a complete game win against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on the 13th, he allowed three hit, 13 strike out one runs in nine innings, earning him a 2-0 record in four games with a 0.90 ERA and 42 strike out, earning him the Monthly MVP award.

Furthermore, in the Persol CS Pacific League Final Stage, he started the first game and pitched brilliantly, allowing no runs in seven innings. The team, which had won two straight games and was one win away from clinching the title, then suffered three consecutive losses, and the series went to a crucial sixth game with the record tied at 3 wins and 3 losses. Moinelo pitcher again after only four days of rest, but he pitched well, throwing 93 pitches over seven innings, allowing only three hit and one runs. He was awarded the MVP.

Opening pitcher pitcher Kohei Arihara pitched well through the first five innings of the season opener, but gave up six runs in the sixth, resulting in a loss. His next outing also saw him pitch, giving up six runs through the first four innings, but on April 25th, he earned his first win of the season, pitching eight innings with five hit and no runs. In July, he recorded a 4-0 record with a 1.50 ERA in four games, earning him the Monthly MVP award, and went on to win eight straight games in the middle of the season. He went 14-9 in 26 games with a 3.03 ERA, earning him the most wins award for the third time in two years.

In 24 appearances, he went 13-5 with a ERA 1.66 record and a .722 winning percentage, his first title and the No. 1 ranking in winning percentage. Tomohisa Ozeki pitcher He was a key member of the team with a career-high 9 wins in a row, starting with win on May 17 against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles and cleared the rule innings pitched. He did not get the win against The Giants on June 12, but pitched 5 perfect innings, 3 hit 2 Walk 8 strike out no runs in the 9th inning.

　pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa pitched six runs pitch against Saitama Seibu Lions on April 6th, earning his first win since returning to NPB. In August, he recorded a 4-0 record with a 1.73 ERA in four games, earning him the monthly MVP award. He reached the required number of wins in his first year, tying his career high with 12 wins and 6 losses and a 2.74 ERA, supporting the team as part of the "10-win quartet" and contributing greatly to the team's championship.

The impenetrable relief pitching staff of Koya Fujii → Yuki Matsumoto → Kazuki Sugiyama is the win formula.

The strength of Fukuoka Softbank this season was also due to their solid relief pitching staff. pitcher Yuki Matsumoto played a key role in the team's winning pattern from the start of the season, recording 15 consecutive holds starting from the game against Orix Buffaloes hold April 8th. In total, he appeared in 51 games, recording 5 wins, 2 losses, 39 holds, ERA of 1.07, and 44 hold points, earning him his first career title, the Best reliever Award.

pitcher Kazuki Sugiyama, who also won his first most saves title, was promoted to closer in June, replacing pitcher struggling Osuna. Even when pitching in nerve-wracking situations, strike out impressive strike out rate of 11.89 helped the team secure win. He recorded seven saves in July and nine in August, putting him in the running for the title. He added eight more saves in September, reaching 31 in the final game of the season, tied for the lead. He pitched in a team-high 75 games, including the postseason, making a significant contribution.

Although they didn't win the title, Koya Fujii pitcher was also one of the relief pitchers who led the team to win. pitcher 's first appearance of the season came on March 29th, when the game was tied in the 10th extra inning, but he gave up the game-winning hit, which was a disappointing start. However, he made steady adjustments after that and returned to his winning form, going runs with 14 consecutive scoreless games since May. He was sidelined by back pain towards the end of the season, but he pitched in 51 games, posting a record of 2 wins, 3 losses, 19 hits, 2 strike out ERA, supporting bullpen.

Other relievers who struggled immediately after the season opener but returned to their true pitch selves in the summer and beyond include Hernandez pitcher, who made a career-high 38 appearances in a variety of roles, including fireman and straddling the mound. Shuto Ogata pitcher Relievers other than those in the winning pattern also struggled, including Ryusei Oe pitcher, who joined the team from The Giants in a trade in May. Both starters and bullpen were consistent, leaving a league-leading ERA 2.39 ERA.

2023 Draft Pick #1, Yugo Maeda, earns his first professional win, leaving a strong impression as a young Hawk.

This season, the Young Hawks also made their presence felt. Third-year pitcher Jun Maeda, who earned a spot in the opening rotation, struggled to secure a win early on, but on May 15th, pitch a no-hit no walk walk game through the fourth inning against Saitama Seibu Lions. He ended up earning his first win of the season, throwing 103 pitches in seven innings, allowing just two hit, one Walk five strike out no runs. He also pitched a no hit game through the fifth inning against Chunichi pitch in an interleague game, completing a career-long eight innings to earn his second win. He hasn't pitched in the first team since July, but will he be able to perform well throughout next season?

pitcher Haru Matsumoto, also in his third year, started the season as a relief pitcher on the first team. After pitching 12 consecutive runs games, he moved to the starting lineup. He earned his first win as a starter this season against Hanshin Tigers on June 22nd, and then pitched his longest Hokkaido Nippon-Ham of the season, a career-long seven innings, allowing seven hit, no Hit by Pitch 14 strike out (0 earned runs). He ended up with a record of 6 wins, 6 runs, and 2 hits in 29 appearances, with ERA of 2.76.

pitcher Yugo Maeda, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, had a successful season in the minor leagues, winning the monthly MVP award in June, and made his first appearance in the major leagues on July 13 against Tohoku Rakuten Eagles. He pitched well through five innings, allowing only two hit, and although he gave up consecutive hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, he runs with triple play, keeping the score at 0-0. With luck on his side, pitcher earned his first professional win. Although he didn't achieve the results he hoped for in subsequent appearances, he laid the foundation for future success.

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have produced five title winners in the pitcher category. Aiming for a third consecutive championship next season, pitcher Yuya Arihara, who recorded 14 wins, is expected to retire, and changes to the starting lineup are a concern. However, the team has acquired pitcher Seo Wak-hee from the Michon The Dragons. Will their stable pitcher staff bring them win next season as well?

Written by Aoi Nemoto