2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season
{{short description|73rd annual season of Nippon Professional Baseball}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{NPBseason|year=2022}}
{{Infobox sports season
| title = 2022 NPB season
| league = Nippon Professional Baseball
| sport = Baseball
| duration = March 25 – October 30
| no_of_games = 143
| no_of_teams = 12
| season2 = Central League pennant
| league_champs2 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows
| second_place2 = Yokohama DeNA BayStars
| MVP2 = Munetaka Murakami (Yakult)
| MVP_link2 = Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award
| season3 = Pacific League pennant
| league_champs3 = Orix Buffaloes
| second_place3 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| MVP3 = Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix)
| MVP_link3 = Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award
| playoffs = Climax Series
| conf1 = CL
| conf1_link = 2022 Central League Climax Series
| conf1_champ = Tokyo Yakult Swallows
| conf1_runner-up = Hanshin Tigers
| conf2 = PL
| conf2_link = 2022 Pacific League Climax Series
| conf2_champ = Orix Buffaloes
| conf2_runner-up = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| finals = Japan Series
| finals_link = 2022 Japan Series
| finals_champ = Orix Buffaloes
| finals_runner-up = Tokyo Yakult Swallows
| finals_MVP = Yutaro Sugimoto (Orix)
| finals_MVP_link = Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award
| seasonslist = List of Nippon Professional Baseball seasons
| seasonslistnames = NPB
| prevseason_link = 2021 Nippon Professional Baseball season
| prevseason_year = 2021
| nextseason_link = 2023 Nippon Professional Baseball season
| nextseason_year = 2023
}}
The 2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 73rd season of professional baseball in Japan since Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) was reorganized in 1950. There are 12 NPB teams, split evenly between the Central League and Pacific League.
On April 10, Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Rōki Sasaki threw a perfect game, the first in 28 yearsIn the 5th game of the 2007 Japan Series, Daisuke Yamai and Hitoki Iwase combined to throw a perfect game for the Chunichi Dragons against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters; in NPB, no-hitters or perfect games achieved by multiple pitchers in one game are considered unofficial. However, it is recognized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (the international governing body of baseball) as a perfect game. and the 16th in NPB history. Sasaki tied an existing NPB record by striking out 19 batters, and set a new record by striking out 13 consecutive batters.{{Cite web|title=Lotte pitcher Roki Sasaki throws Japan's 16th perfect game|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/04/29ff7f87d204-urgent-lotte-pitcher-roki-sasaki-throws-japans-16th-perfect-game.html|access-date=2023-01-03|website=Kyodo News+}}
Including Sasaki's perfect game, for the first time since 1940, there were five no-hitters this season, with Nao Higashihama of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks throwing one on May 11 against the Saitama Seibu Lions, Shōta Imanaga of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars doing so on June 7 during interleague play against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (also being the first no hitter in the history of the Sapporo Dome in its final season as the home of the Fighters), and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Orix Buffaloes throwing one also against the Lions on June 18. One was nearly thrown on July 20, with rookie Ren Mukunoki of the Buffaloes nearly doing so against the Fighters, but he fell 1 strike short, as he gave up a hit to Fighters infielder Ryusei Satoh, in which fans called as a similar incident to former MLB pitcher Dave Stieb, in which he lost a perfect game and a no hitter in the same game with only 1 strike to go.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title=Buffaloes rookie Ren Mukunoki falls one strike short of no-hitter |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2022/07/21/baseball/japanese-baseball/mukonoki-miss-no-hitter/ |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}} A 5th one would eventually be thrown on August 27 by Cody Ponce of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, in just his 2nd start, tying 2022 with 1940 with the most no-hitters in a season in Japanese pro baseball history, as well as becoming the first foreign player since Rick Guttormson of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2006 to throw a no-hitter, and the first Pacific League foreign player to do so since the now late Narciso Elvira did so with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2000.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-27 |title=Baseball: Fighters' Ponce throws season's 5th no-hitter |url=https://nordot.app/936181113818841088?c=445918389795193953 |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=Kyodo News |language=en-US}}
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows took home the Central League pennant for the second year in a row over the Yokohama DeNA BayStars while the Orix Buffaloes took the Pacific League pennant over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks via the first pennant tiebreaker in NPB history.
Regular season standings
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width="70%" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Central League regular season standings{{cite web|title=2022 Central League Standings|url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/standings/|url-status=live|access-date=3 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413144811/https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/standings/ |archive-date=April 13, 2021 }} !scope="col" width="5%"| Rank !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;" |Tokyo Yakult Swallows |143||80||59||4||{{Winning percentage|80|59}}||— |
|---|
| 2
| style="text-align:left;" |Yokohama DeNA BayStars |143||73||68||2||{{Winning percentage|73|68}}||8 |
| 3
| style="text-align:left;" |Hanshin Tigers |143||68||71||4||{{Winning percentage|68|71}}||12 |
| colspan="10" | |
| 4
| style="text-align:left;" |Yomiuri Giants |143||68||72||3||{{Winning percentage|68|72}}||12½ |
| 5
| style="text-align:left;" |Hiroshima Toyo Carp |143||66||74||3||{{Winning percentage|66|74}}||14½ |
| 6
| style="text-align:left;" |Chunichi Dragons |143||66||75||2||{{Winning percentage|66|75}}||15 |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width="70%" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Pacific League regular season standings{{cite web|title=2022 Pacific League Standings|url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/standings/|url-status=live|access-date=3 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413144811/https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/standings/ |archive-date=April 13, 2021 }} !scope="col" width="5%"| Rank !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;" |Orix Buffaloes |143||76||65||2||{{Winning percentage|76|65}}||— |
|---|
| 2
| style="text-align:left;" |Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |143||76||65||2||{{Winning percentage|76|65}}||—Orix won the season series against the Hawks 15-10-0, which gave Orix the pennant over SoftBank. |
| 3
| style="text-align:left;" |Saitama Seibu Lions |143||72||68||3||{{Winning percentage|72|68}}||3½ |
| colspan="10" | |
| 4
| style="text-align:left;" |Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles |143||69||71||3||{{Winning percentage|69|71}}||6½ |
| 5
| style="text-align:left;" |Chiba Lotte Marines |143||69||73||1||{{Winning percentage|69|73}}||7½ |
| 6
| style="text-align:left;" |Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |143||59||81||3||{{Winning percentage|59|81}}||16½ |
=Interleague=
| class="wikitable" width="50%" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Regular season interleague standings{{cite web|url=https://npb.jp/bis/2022/stats/std_inter.html|title=2022年度 交流戦 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=June 14, 2022 |language=ja |trans-title=2022 Interleague Play}} ! width="33%" | Team ! width="6%" | G ! width="5%" | W ! width="5%" | L ! width="4%" | T ! width="6%" | Win% ! width="6%" | GB ! width="10%"| Home ! width="10%"| Away | ||||||||
| style="text-align:left;" |Tokyo Yakult Swallows | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | .778 | — | 7–2 | 7–2 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Hanshin Tigers | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | .667 | 2 | 6–3 | 6–3 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Chiba Lotte Marines | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | .556 | 4 | 6–3 | 4–5 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 5 | 5–4 | 4–5 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Saitama Seibu Lions | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 5 | 6–3 | 3–6 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Yokohama DeNA BayStars | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 5 | 5–4 | 4–5 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 5 | 5–4 | 4–5 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | .444 | 6 | 6–3 | 2–7 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Orix Buffaloes | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | .444 | 6 | 2–7 | 6–3 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Yomiuri Giants | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | .444 | 6 | 5–4 | 3–6 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Chunichi Dragons | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | .389 | 7 | 5–4 | 2–7 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | .279 | 9 | 3–6 | 2–7 |
Climax Series
{{Main|2022 Pacific League Climax Series|2022 Central League Climax Series}}
{{6TeamBracket-info
|team-width=200
|RD1=First Stage
|RD2=Final Stage
|RD3=Japan Series
|RD1-text1={{center|Central League}}
|RD1-text2={{center|Pacific League}}
| RD1-seed1=2
| RD1-team1=Yokohama DeNA BayStars
| RD1-score1=1
| RD1-seed2=3
| RD1-team2=Hanshin Tigers
| RD1-score2=2
| RD1-seed3=2
| RD1-team3=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| RD1-score3=2
| RD1-seed4=3
| RD1-team4=Saitama Seibu Lions
| RD1-score4=0
| RD2-seed1=1
| RD2-team1=Tokyo Yakult Swallows
| RD2-score1=4
| RD2-seed2=3
| RD2-team2=Hanshin Tigers
| RD2-score2=0
| RD2-seed3=1
| RD2-team3=Orix Buffaloes
| RD2-score3=4
| RD2-seed4=2
| RD2-team4=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| RD2-score4=1
| RD3-seed1=CL1
| RD3-team1=Tokyo Yakult Swallows
| RD3-score1=2
| RD3-seed2=PL1
| RD3-team2=Orix Buffaloes
| RD3-score2=4
}}
=First stage=
==Central League==
{{Baseball playoff summary
| summary =
| winner = Hanshin Tigers
| leader =
| score = 2–1
| date1 = October 8
| score1 = Yokohama DeNA BayStars − 0, Hanshin Tigers − 2
| loc1 = Yokohama Stadium
| time1 = 3:34
| att1 = 33,033
| ref1 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022100801842.html |title=Saturday, October 8, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| date2 = October 9
| score2 = Yokohama DeNA BayStars − 1, Hanshin Tigers − 0
| loc2 = Yokohama Stadium
| time2 = 2:48
| att2 = 33,037
| ref2 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022100901843.html |title=Sunday, October 9, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 10, 2022}}
| date3 = October 10
| score3 = Yokohama DeNA BayStars − 2, Hanshin Tigers − 3
| loc3 = Yokohama Stadium
| time3 = 3:19
| att3 = 32,977
| ref3 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022100901844.html |title=Monday, October 10, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 11, 2022}}
}}
==Pacific League==
{{Baseball playoff summary
| summary =
| winner = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| leader =
| score = 2–0
| date1 = October 8
| score1 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks − 5, Saitama Seibu Lions − 3
| loc1 = Fukuoka PayPay Dome
| time1 = 3:01
| att1 = 32,134
| ref1 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022100801845.html |title=Saturday, October 8, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| date2 = October 9
| score2 = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks − 8, Saitama Seibu Lions − 2
| loc2 = Fukuoka PayPay Dome
| time2 = 3:07
| att2 = 39,354
| ref2 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022100901846.html |title=Sunday, October 9, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 10, 2022}}
}}
=Final Stage=
The series started with a 1–0 advantage for the first-placed team.
==Central League==
{{Baseball playoff summary
| summary =
| winner = Tokyo Yakult Swallows
| leader =
| score = 4−0
| date1 = October 12
| score1 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows − 7, Hanshin Tigers − 1
| loc1 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time1 = 3:03
| att1 = 26,499
| ref1 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101201853.html |title=Wednesday, October 12, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 13, 2022}}
| date2 = October 13
| score2 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows − 5, Hanshin Tigers − 3
| loc2 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time2 = 3:49
| att2 = 26,071
| ref2 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101301854.html |title=Thursday, October 13, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 14, 2022}}
| date3 = October 14
| score3 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows − 6, Hanshin Tigers − 3
| loc3 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time3 = 3:39
| att3 = 29,343
| ref3 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101401855.html |title=Friday, October 14, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 14, 2022}}
}}
==Pacific League==
{{Baseball playoff summary
| summary =
| winner = Orix Buffaloes
| leader =
| score = 4−1
| date1 = October 12
| score1 = Orix Buffaloes − 5, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks − 0
| loc1 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time1 = 3:08
| att1 = 24,509
| ref1 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101201847.html |title=Wednesday, October 12, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 13, 2022}}
| date2 = October 13
| score2 = Orix Buffaloes − 4, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks − 3
| loc2 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time2 = 3:27
| att2 = 18,572
| ref2 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101301848.html |title=Thursday, October 13, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 14, 2022}}
| date3 = October 14
| score3 = Orix Buffaloes − 0, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks − 3
| loc3 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time3 = 3:05
| att3 = 27,526
| ref3 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101401849.html |title=Friday, October 14, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 15, 2022}}
| date4 = October 15
| score4 = Orix Buffaloes − 3, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks − 2
| loc4 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time4 = 3:12
| att4 = 33,717
| ref4 = {{cite web |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022101501850.html |title=Saturday, October 15, 2022 |work=Nippon Professional Baseball |access-date=October 16, 2022}}
}}
Japan Series
{{main|2022 Japan Series}}
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary =
| winner = Orix Buffaloes
| leader =
| score = 4–2–1
| date1 = October 22
| score1 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 5, Orix Buffaloes – 3
| loc1 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time1 = 3:48
| att1 = 29,402
| date2 = October 23
| score2 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 3, Orix Buffaloes – 3 {{small|(12)}}
| loc2 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time2 = 5:03
| att2 = 29,410
| date3 = October 25
| score3 = Orix Buffaloes – 1, Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 7
| loc3 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time3 = 3:28
| att3 = 33,098
| date4 = October 26
| score4 = Orix Buffaloes – 1, Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 0
| loc4 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time4 = 3:28
| att4 = 33,210
| date5 = October 27
| score5 = Orix Buffaloes − 6, Tokyo Yakult Swallows − 4
| loc5 = Kyocera Dome Osaka
| time5 = 3:40
| att5 = 33,135
| date6 = October 29
| score6 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows - 0, Orix Buffaloes - 3
| loc6 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time6 = 3:11
| att6 = 29,379
| date7 = October 30
| score7 = Tokyo Yakult Swallows- 4, Orix Buffaloes - 5
| loc7 = Meiji Jingu Stadium
| time7 = 3:12
| att7 = 29,381
|}}
2022 NPB attendance
{{row counter|
| class{{=}}"wikitable sortable"
!#!!Football club!!Average attendancehttps://matcha-jp.com/en/12738 | ||
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Hanshin Tigers | 36,370 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Yomiuri Giants | 32,199 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | 31,221 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 27,732 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Chunichi Dragons | 25,459 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Yokohama DeNA BayStars | 24,708 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Tokyo Yakult Swallows | 22,741 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Chiba Lotte Marines | 20,685 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | ORIX Buffaloes | 19,896 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | 18,748 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | 17,937 |
| style{{=}}"text-align:center;"| _row_count | Saitama Seibu Lions | 16,837 |