:2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season
{{short description|71st annual season of Nippon Professional Baseball}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{NPBseason|year=2020}}
{{Infobox sports season
| title =2020 NPB season
| league =Nippon Professional Baseball
| sport =Baseball
| duration =June 19 – November 25
| no_of_games = 120
| no_of_teams = 12
| season2 =Central League Pennant
| league_champs2 =Yomiuri Giants
| second_place2 =Hanshin Tigers
| MVP2 =Tomoyuki Sugano (Yomiuri)
| MVP_link2 =Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award
| season3 =Pacific League Pennant
| league_champs3 =Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| second_place3 =Chiba Lotte Marines
| MVP3 =Yuki Yanagita (SoftBank)
| MVP_link3 =Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award
| playoffs =Climax Series
| conf1 =CL
| conf1_link =
| conf1_champ =N/A{{ref|a}}
| conf1_runner-up =N/A
| conf2 =PL
| conf2_link =2020 Pacific League Climax Series
| conf2_champ =Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| conf2_runner-up =Chiba Lotte Marines
| finals =Japan Series
| finals_link =2020 Japan Series
| finals_champ =Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| finals_runner-up =Yomiuri Giants
| finals_MVP =Ryoya Kurihara (SoftBank)
| finals_MVP_link =Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award
| seasonslist =List of Nippon Professional Baseball seasons
| seasonslistnames =NPB
| prevseason_link =2019 Nippon Professional Baseball season
| prevseason_year =2019
| nextseason_link =2021 Nippon Professional Baseball season
| nextseason_year =2021
}}
The 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 71st season of professional baseball in Japan since Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) was reorganized in 1950. There were 12 NPB teams, split evenly between the Central League and Pacific League.
Season schedule
The 2020 season was originally scheduled to begin on 20 March, with a break from 21 July to 13 August, for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.{{cite news |title=Baseball: Fans asked to abort balloon launches over coronavirus threat |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/02/45c9986f1b0b-baseball-fans-asked-to-abort-balloon-launches-over-coronavirus-threat.html |access-date=9 March 2020 |agency=Kyodo News |date=8 February 2020}} On 26 February 2020, the league announced that its remaining spring training games would be held without fans in attendance, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.{{cite news |title=Japanese pro baseball to restrict spectators from 72 preseason games |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/02/95fdad694399-urgent-rugby-top-league-postpones-next-2-rounds-due-to-coronavirus.html |access-date=9 March 2020 |agency=Kyodo News |date=26 February 2020 |work=Japan Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227160351/https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/02/95fdad694399-urgent-rugby-top-league-postpones-next-2-rounds-due-to-coronavirus.html| archive-date=27 February 2020}} [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/02/26/baseball/japanese-baseball/japanese-baseball-play-remainder-preseason-without-spectators-due-virus-fears/ Alt URL]{{cite news |last1=Woods |first1=Amanda |title=Japanese baseball fans barred from preseason games over coronavirus fears |url=https://nypost.com/2020/02/27/japanese-baseball-fans-barred-from-preseason-games-over-coronavirus-fears/ |access-date=9 March 2020 |work=New York Post |date=27 February 2020}} With health related precautions in place, the media was allowed into some ballparks.{{cite news |last1=Coskrey |first1=Jason |title=Giants and Swallows compete without familiar sights and sounds at ballpark |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/02/29/baseball/japanese-baseball/giants-swallows-compete-without-familiar-sights-sounds-ballpark/ |access-date=9 March 2020 |work=Japan Times |date=29 February 2020}} Following another league meeting on 9 March, commissioner Atsushi Saito stated that the 2020 season would be postponed until April.{{cite news |title=Japan's pro baseball league delays season start over coronavirus |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/03/6cba442bcfa8-breaking-news-japan-pro-baseball-to-delay-start-of-season-over-virus-source.html |access-date=9 March 2020 |agency=Kyodo News |date=9 March 2020}}{{cite news |title=Virus postpones opening of Japanese pro baseball season |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3893672 |access-date=9 March 2020 |work=Taiwan News |agency=Associated Press |date=9 March 2020}} Saito also said that the league aimed to retain a full regular season schedule of 143 games.{{cite news |last1=Nagatsuka |first1=Kaz |title=NPB to delay start of regular season due to ongoing COVID-19 outbreak |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/03/09/general/npb-delay-season-covid19-coronavirus/ |access-date=13 March 2020 |work=Japan Times |date=9 March 2020}} This announcement marked the first time since 2011 that a Nippon Professional Baseball season was delayed.{{cite news |title=Start of Japan Pro Baseball Regular Season to Be Delayed |url=https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2020030901017/start-of-japan-pro-baseball-regular-season-to-be-delayed.html |access-date=9 March 2020 |agency=Jiji Press |date=9 March 2020}}
On 18 April, the league announced that it would remain delayed indefinitely through the entirety of May, with the 18-game interleague schedule removed to accommodate a 125-game schedule. The delay of the 2020 Olympics meant that the three-week Olympic break would no longer be needed. Therefore, it was removed from the schedule.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29051278/japan-baseball-league-delayed-again-no-date-set-start|title=Japan's baseball league delayed again, no date set for start|date=18 April 2020|agency=Associated Press|work=ESPN.com|access-date=18 April 2020}} Before the league began play, the 2020 season was shortened to 120 games, and scheduled to end on 7 November.{{cite news |title=After three-month virus delay, Japan opens its shortened baseball season |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29334668/after-three-month-coronavirus-delay-japan-opens-shortened-baseball-season |access-date=20 June 2020 |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=19 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Nagatsuka |first1=Kaz |title=NPB can play ball in Japan from June 19, but minus fans |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/05/25/baseball/japanese-baseball/npb-can-play-ball-june-19-stadiums-will-empty/ |access-date=20 June 2020 |work=Japan Times |date=25 May 2020}} As a result of the condensed schedule, it was also announced that the First Stage of the Pacific League Climax Series would not be played, with the top two teams from the regular season competing in a best-of-5 Final Stage which the regular season winner enters with a one-game advantage. The Central League would do away with its Climax Series entirely, with its regular season winner advancing directly to the 2020 Japan Series.{{cite news|url=https://npb.jp/news/detail/20200615_01.html|title=2020年度セ・パ公式戦 全試合日程発表|date=June 15, 2020|publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball|access-date=20 August 2020}}
With the lifting of states of emergency over major Japanese cities, NPB announced that it would begin its regular season on 19 June behind closed doors. "Warm-up" games began 26 May.{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/baseball-japans-baseball-league-to-start-on-june-19|title=Baseball-Japan's baseball league to start on June 19|first=Jack|last=Tarrant|agency=Reuters|newspaper=National Post|date=May 25, 2020|access-date=May 25, 2020}} All twelve NPB teams played on as scheduled on 19 June. On 10 July NPB began allowing a limited number of fans to attend games, with plans to further ease restrictions in the near future.{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c3686bce6a9c4f9fb4d779ced7f6be2a62b1d9a4|title=お待たせ！プロ野球７・１０に６球場一斉観客解禁…上限５０００人|date=June 23, 2020|access-date=July 21, 2020|archive-date=July 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721015933/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c3686bce6a9c4f9fb4d779ced7f6be2a62b1d9a4|url-status=dead}} On 19 September, attendance was expanded to a maximum of 20,000 fans per game, or 50% of stadium capacity.{{Cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3a012be940c6c0b7ae6f38184410eba93a2a1c67 |title=ＮＰＢ １９日にも観客上限緩和へ ２万人、または収容５０％の少ない方（デイリースポーツ） - Yahoo!ニュース |access-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-date=October 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006065529/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3a012be940c6c0b7ae6f38184410eba93a2a1c67 |url-status=dead }}
Regular season standings
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width="70%" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Central League regular season standings{{cite web|url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/standings/|title=2020 Central League Standings|access-date=21 July 2020}} !scope="col" width="5%"| Pos !scope="col" width="25%"| Team !scope="col" width="5%"| G !scope="col" width="5%"| W !scope="col" width="5%"| L !scope="col" width="5%"| T !scope="col" width="7%"| Pct. !scope="col" width="5%"| GB |
| 1
|style="text-align:left;"|Yomiuri Giants |120||67||45||8||.598| |
|---|
| colspan="10" | |
| 2
| style="text-align:left;" |Hanshin Tigers |120||60||53||7||.531||7.5 |
| 3
| style="text-align:left;" |Chunichi Dragons |120||60||55||5||.522||8.5 |
| 4
|style="text-align:left;"|Yokohama DeNA BayStars |120||56||58||6||.491||12 |
| 5
|style="text-align:left;"|Hiroshima Toyo Carp |120||52||56||12||.481||13 |
| 6
|style="text-align:left;"|Tokyo Yakult Swallows |120||41||69||10||.373||25 |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width="70%" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Pacific League regular season standings{{cite web|url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/standings/|title=2020 Pacific League Standings|access-date=21 July 2020}} !scope="col" width="5%"| Pos !scope="col" width="25%"| Team !scope="col" width="5%"| G !scope="col" width="5%"| W !scope="col" width="5%"| L !scope="col" width="5%"| T !scope="col" width="7%"| Pct. !scope="col" width="5%"| GB |
| 1
|style="text-align:left;"|Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |120||73||42||5||.635| |
|---|
| 2
|style="text-align:left;"|Chiba Lotte Marines |120||60||57||3||.513||14 |
| colspan="10" | |
| 3
|style="text-align:left;"|Saitama Seibu Lions |120||58||58||4||.500||15.5 |
| 4
| style="text-align:left;" |Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles |120||55||57||8||.491||16.5 |
| 5
| style="text-align:left;" |Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |120||53||62||5||.461||20 |
| 6
|style="text-align:left;"|Orix Buffaloes |120||45||68||7||.398||27 |
Climax Series
{{Main|2020 Pacific League Climax Series}}
{{3TeamBracket
| boldwinner = high
| team-width = 200
| RD1 = Pacific League Climax Series
| RD2 = Japan Series
| RD1-seed1 = 1
| RD1-team1 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| RD1-score1 = 3
| RD1-seed2 = 2
| RD1-team2 = Chiba Lotte Marines
| RD1-score2 = 0
| RD2-seed1 = CL1
| RD2-team1 = Yomiuri Giants
| RD2-score1 = 0
| RD2-seed2 = PL1
| RD2-team2 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| RD2-score2 = 4
}}
=Pacific League=
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary =
| winner = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| leader =
| score = 3–0
| date1 = November 14
| score1 = Chiba Lotte Marines – 3, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 4
| loc1 = PayPay Dome
| time1 = 3:19
| att1 = 19,901{{cite news|title=Saturday, November 14, 2020 |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/games/s2020111401403.html |access-date=November 14, 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}
| ref1 =
| date2 = November 15
| score2 = Chiba Lotte Marines – 4, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 6
| loc2 = PayPay Dome
| time2 = 3:27
| att2 = 19,995{{cite news|title=Sunday, November 15, 2020 |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/games/s2020111501404.html |access-date=November 15, 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}
| ref2 =
|}}
Japan Series
{{Main|2020 Japan Series}}
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary =
| winner = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| leader =
| score = 4–0
| date1 = November 21
| score1 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 5, Yomiuri Giants – 1
| loc1 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time1 = 3:34
| att1 = 16,489
| ref1 = {{cite news|title=Saturday, November 21, 2020 |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/games/s2020112101405.html |access-date=November 21, 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}
| date2 = November 22
| score2 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 13, Yomiuri Giants – 2
| loc2 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time2 = 3:40
| att2 = 16,333
| ref2 = {{cite news|title=Sunday, November 22, 2020 |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/games/s2020112201406.html |access-date=November 22, 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}
| date3 = November 24
| score3 = Yomiuri Giants – 0, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 4
| loc3 = PayPay Dome
| time3 = 2:58
| att3 = 17,297
| ref3 = {{cite news|title=Tuesday, November 24, 2020 |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/games/s2020112401407.html |access-date=November 24, 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}
| date4 = November 25
| score4 = Yomiuri Giants – 1, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 4
| loc4 = PayPay Dome
| time4 = 3:22
| att4 = 19,679
| ref4 = {{cite news|title=Wednesday, November 25, 2020 |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/games/s2020112501408.html |access-date=November 25, 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}
|}}
League leaders
=Central League=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Batting leaders{{Cite web|url=http://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/stats/bat_c.html|title=2020 Central League Qualifiers for Batting Championship|website=npb.jp}} !scope="col" width="7%" | Stat !scope="col" width="10%" | Player !scope="col" width="20%" | Team !scope="col" width="3%" | Total |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Batting average
| Keita Sano || Yokohama DeNA BayStars || .328 |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Home runs
| Kazuma Okamoto || Yomiuri Giants || 31 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Runs batted in
| Kazuma Okamoto || Yomiuri Giants || 97 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Runs
| Kazuma Okamoto || Yomiuri Giants || 97 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hits
| Yohei Oshima || Chunichi Dragons || 146 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Stolen bases
| Kōji Chikamoto || Hanshin Tigers || 31 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| On-base percentage
| Munetaka Murakami || Tokyo Yakult Swallows || .427 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Slugging percentage
| Munetaka Murakami || Tokyo Yakult Swallows || .585 |
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Pitching leaders{{Cite web|url=http://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/stats/pit_c.html|title=2020 Central League Qualifiers for Earned-Run Average Title & Top Relief Pitchers|website=npb.jp}} !scope="col" width="7%" | Stat !scope="col" width="10%" | Player !scope="col" width="25%" | Team !scope="col" width="3%" | Total |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Wins
| Tomoyuki Sugano || Yomiuri Giants || 14 |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Earned run average
| Yudai Ono || Chunichi Dragons || 1.82 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Strikeouts
| Yudai Ono || Chunichi Dragons || 148 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Innings pitched
| Yudai Ono || Chunichi Dragons || 148.2 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Saves
| Robert Suárez || Hanshin Tigers || 25 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Holds
| Daisuke Sobue || Chunichi Dragons || 30 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Winning percentage
| Tomoyuki Sugano || Yomiuri Giants || .875 |
{{col-end}}
=Pacific League=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Batting leaders{{Cite web|url=http://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/stats/bat_p.html|title=2020 Pacific League Qualifiers for Batting Championship|website=npb.jp}} !scope="col" width="7%" | Stat !scope="col" width="10%" | Player !scope="col" width="20%" | Team !scope="col" width="3%" | Total |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Batting average
| Masataka Yoshida || Orix Buffaloes || .350 |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Home runs
| Hideto Asamura || Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles || 32 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Runs batted in
| Sho Nakata || Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters || 108 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Runs
| Yuki Yanagita || Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || 90 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hits
| Yuki Yanagita || Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || 146 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Stolen bases
| Ukyo Shuto || Saitama Seibu Lions || 50 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| On-base percentage
| Kensuke Kondo || Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters || .465 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Slugging percentage
| Yuki Yanagita || Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || .623 |
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Pitching leaders{{Cite web|url=http://npb.jp/bis/eng/2020/stats/pit_p.html|title=2020 Pacific League Qualifiers for Earned-Run Average Title & Top Relief Pitchers|website=npb.jp}} !scope="col" width="7%" | Stat !scope="col" width="10%" | Player !scope="col" width="25%" | Team !scope="col" width="3%" | Total |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Wins
| Shuta Ishikawa Kodai Senga|| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || 11 |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Earned run average
| Kodai Senga || Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || 2.16 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Strikeouts
| Kodai Senga || Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || 149 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Innings pitched
| Ayumu Ishikawa || Chiba Lotte Marines || 133.1 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Saves
| Tatsushi Masuda || Saitama Seibu Lions || 33 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Holds
| Livan Moinelo || Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks || 40 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Winning percentage
| Hideaki Wakui || Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles || .733 |
{{col-end}}
Awards
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable"
|+ NPB Awards | |||
| colspan="2"|Central League | colspan="2"|Pacific League | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Award || Player || Team || Player || Team | |||
| scope="row"| Rookie of the Year | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | Kaima Taira | Saitama Seibu Lions |
| scope="row"| Most Valuable Player | Yomiuri Giants | Yuki Yanagita | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| Eiji Sawamura Award | Chunichi Dragons | ||
| scope="row"| Best Relief Pitcher | Tokyo Yakult Swallows Chunichi Dragons Chunichi Dragons | Liván Moinelo | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| Matsutaro Shoriki Award
|colspan="2"| | Kimiyasu Kudo | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | |
| colspan="9"|Best Nine Award | |||
| Position|| Player || Team || Player || Team | |||
| scope="row"| Pitcher
| Tomoyuki Sugano | Yomiuri Giants | Kodai Senga | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| Catcher | Yomiuri Giants | Takuya Kai | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| 1st Base | Tokyo Yakult Swallows | Sho Nakata | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| scope="row"| 2nd Base | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | Hideto Asamura | Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles |
| scope="row"| 3rd Base | Yomiuri Giants | Daichi Suzuki | Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles |
| scope="row"| Shortstop | Yomiuri Giants | Sosuke Genda | Saitama Seibu Lions |
| scope="row" rowspan="3"|Outfield | Yomiuri Giants | Masataka Yoshida | Orix Buffaloes |
| Seiya Suzuki | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | Kensuke Kondo | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| Keita Sano | Yokohama DeNA BayStars | Yuki Yanagita | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| Designated hitter
|colspan="2" align=center| Not applicable | Takumi Kuriyama | Saitama Seibu Lions |
| class="wikitable" | |||
| colspan="2"|Central League | colspan="2"|Pacific League | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position || Player || Team || Player || Team | |||
| scope="row"| Pitcher | Yomiuri Giants | Kodai Senga | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| Catcher | Hanshin Tigers | Takuya Kai | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| scope="row"| 1st Base | Chunichi Dragons | Akira Nakamura Sho Nakata | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| scope="row"| 2nd Base | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | Shuta Tonosaki | Saitama Seibu Lions |
| scope="row"| 3rd Base | Chunichi Dragons | Daichi Suzuki | Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles |
| scope="row"| Shortstop | Yomiuri Giants | Sosuke Genda | Saitama Seibu Lions |
| scope="row" rowspan="3"|Outfield | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | Yuki Yanagita | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| Yōhei Ōshima | Chunichi Dragons | Taishi Ohta | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| Norichika Aoki | Tokyo Yakult Swallows | Haruki Nishikawa | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
See also
Notes
:1.{{note|a}}The 2020 Central League Climax Series was cancelled. As a result, the regular season champion Yomiuri Giants advanced directly to the Japan Series.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Nippon Professional Baseball Seasons}}
Nippon Professional Baseball season