Central League

The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country. Unlike the Pacific League, designated hitters are not used during Central League home games. The Central League has voted to adopt the designated hitter beginning in 2027.

History The Central League was founded in 1949 with eight teams: four holdovers from the previous Japanese Baseball League — the Chunichi Dragons, the Hanshin Tigers, the Yomiuri Giants, and the Shochiku Robins (formerly the Taiyō Robins) — and four new teams — the Hiroshima Carp, the Kokutetsu Swallows, the Nishi Nippon Pirates, and the Taiyō Whales.

The Nishi Nippon Pirates existed for one season — they placed sixth in 1950, and the following season merged with the also Fukuoka-based Nishitetsu Clippers (a member of the Pacific League) to form the Nishitetsu Lions, who joined the Pacific League. This brought the number of Central League teams down to an ungainly arrangement of seven.

Ryuji Suzuki became president of the Central League in 1952."SUZUKI, Ryuji," The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Japan). Accessed March 27, 2015.

In 1952, it was decided that any team ending the season with a winning percentage below .300 would be disbanded or merged with other teams. The Shochiku Robins fell into this category, and were merged with the Taiyō Whales to become the Taiyō Shochiku Robins in January 1953. This enabled the Central League to shrink to an even number of six teams.

Ryuji Suzuki retired as CL president in 1984 after 33 years at the post.

In 2007, a new Climax Series was introduced. This playoff series was inspired by the stepladder playoff used in the Pacific League introduced in 2004 for the top three teams of the league to determine which one progressed to the Japan Series. Under the previous system, there was no post-season playoff and the winner of the pennant automatically qualified for the Japan Series.

Current teams Team Japanese name Founded Location Stadium Owner Chunichi Dragons 中日ドラゴンズ Chūnichi Doragonzu January 15, 1936 Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Vantelin Dome Nagoya Chunichi Shimbun Hanshin Tigers 阪神タイガース Hanshin Taigāsu December 10, 1935 HQ in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Plays between Osaka and Hyogo Hanshin Koshien Stadium and Kyocera Dome Osaka Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Hiroshima Toyo Carp 広島東洋カープ Hiroshima Tōyō Kāpu December 5, 1949 Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Mazda Stadium Matsuda family [66.7%]Mazda [33.3%] Tokyo Yakult Swallows 東京ヤクルトスワローズ Tōkyō Yakuruto Suwarōzu January 12, 1950 Shinjuku, Tokyo Meiji Jingu Stadium Yakult Honsha Yokohama DeNA BayStars 横浜DeNAベイスターズ Yokohama DeNA Beisutāzu December 15, 1949 Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Yokohama Stadium DeNA Yomiuri Giants 読売ジャイアンツ Yomiuri Jaiantsu December 26, 1934 Bunkyo, Tokyo Tokyo Dome Yomiuri Shimbun

Central League pennant winners Year Team W L T Postseason ResultShochiku Robins98354Lost 1950 Japan Series 2–4 to the Mainichi OrionsYomiuri Giants79296Won 1951 Japan Series 4–1 over the Nankai HawksYomiuri Giants83370Won 1952 Japan Series 4–2 over the Nankai HawksYomiuri Giants87371Won 1953 Japan Series 4–2–1 over the Nankai HawksChunichi Dragons86404Won 1954 Japan Series 4–3 over the Nishitetsu LionsYomiuri Giants92371Won 1955 Japan Series 4–3 over the Nankai HawksYomiuri Giants82444Lost 1956 Japan Series 2–4 to the Nishitetsu LionsYomiuri Giants74533Lost 1957 Japan Series 0–4–1 to the Nishitetsu LionsYomiuri Giants77521Lost 1958 Japan Series 3–4 to the Nishitetsu LionsYomiuri Giants77485Lost 1959 Japan Series 0–4 to the Nankai HawksTaiyō Whales70564Won 1960 Japan Series 4–0 over the Daimai OrionsYomiuri Giants71536Won 1961 Japan Series 4–2 over the Nankai HawksHanshin Tigers75553Lost 1962 Japan Series 2–4–1 to the Toei FlyersYomiuri Giants83552Won 1963 Japan Series 4–3 over the Nishitetsu LionsHanshin Tigers80564Lost 1964 Japan Series 3–4 to the Nankai HawksYomiuri Giants91472Won 1965 Japan Series 4–1 over the Nankai HawksYomiuri Giants89414Won 1966 Japan Series 4–2 over the Nankai HawksYomiuri Giants84464Won 1967 Japan Series 4–2 over the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants77534Won 1968 Japan Series 4–2 over the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants73516Won 1969 Japan Series 4–2 over the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants79474Won 1970 Japan Series 4–1 over the Lotte OrionsYomiuri Giants70528Won 1971 Japan Series 4–1 over the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants74524Won 1972 Japan Series 4–1 over the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants66604Won 1973 Japan Series 4–1 over the Nankai HawksChunichi Dragons704911Lost 1974 Japan Series 2–4 to the Lotte OrionsHiroshima Toyo Carp724711Lost 1975 Japan Series 0–4–2 to the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants76459Lost 1976 Japan Series 3–4 to the Hankyu BravesYomiuri Giants80464Lost 1977 Japan Series 1–4 to the Hankyu BravesYakult Swallows684616Won 1978 Japan Series 4–3 over the Hankyu BravesHiroshima Toyo Carp675013Won 1979 Japan Series 4–3 over the Kintetsu BuffaloesHiroshima Toyo Carp734413Won 1980 Japan Series 4–3 over the Kintetsu BuffaloesYomiuri Giants73489Won 1981 Japan Series 4–2 over the Nippon-Ham FightersChunichi Dragons644719Lost 1982 Japan Series 2–4 to the Seibu LionsYomiuri Giants72508Lost 1983 Japan Series 3–4 to the Seibu LionsHiroshima Toyo Carp754510Won 1984 Japan Series 4–3 over the Hankyu BravesHanshin Tigers74497Won 1985 Japan Series 4–2 over the Seibu LionsHiroshima Toyo Carp734611Lost 1986 Japan Series 3–4–1 to the Seibu LionsYomiuri Giants764311Lost 1987 Japan Series 2–4 to the Seibu LionsChunichi Dragons79465Lost 1988 Japan Series 1–4 to the Seibu LionsYomiuri Giants84442Won 1989 Japan Series 4–3 over the Kintetsu BuffaloesYomiuri Giants88420Lost 1990 Japan Series 0–4 to the Seibu LionsHiroshima Toyo Carp74562Lost 1991 Japan Series 3–4 to the Seibu LionsYakult Swallows69611Lost 1992 Japan Series 3–4 to the Seibu LionsYakult Swallows80502Won 1993 Japan Series 4–3 over the Seibu LionsYomiuri Giants70600Won 1994 Japan Series 4–2 over the Seibu LionsYakult Swallows82480Won 1995 Japan Series 4–1 over the Orix BlueWaveYomiuri Giants77530Lost 1996 Japan Series 1–4 to the Orix BlueWaveYakult Swallows83522Won 1997 Japan Series 4–1 over the Seibu LionsYokohama BayStars79561Won 1998 Japan Series 4–2 over the Seibu LionsChunichi Dragons81540Lost 1999 Japan Series 1–4 to the Fukuoka Daiei HawksYomiuri Giants78570Won 2000 Japan Series 4–2 over the Fukuoka Daiei HawksYakult Swallows76586Won 2001 Japan Series 4–1 over the Osaka Kintetsu BuffaloesYomiuri Giants86522Won 2002 Japan Series 4–0 over the Seibu LionsHanshin Tigers87512Lost 2003 Japan Series 3–4 to the Fukuoka Daiei HawksChunichi Dragons79563Lost 2004 Japan Series 3–4 to the Seibu LionsHanshin Tigers87545Lost 2005 Japan Series 0–4 to the Chiba Lotte MarinesChunichi Dragons87545Lost 2006 Japan Series 1–4 to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersYomiuri Giants80631Lost 2007 Central League Climax Series 0–3 to the Chunichi DragonsYomiuri Giants84573Lost 2008 Japan Series 3–4 to the Saitama Seibu LionsYomiuri Giants89469Won 2009 Japan Series 4–2 over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersChunichi Dragons79623Lost 2010 Japan Series 2–4-1 to the Chiba Lotte MarinesChunichi Dragons755910Lost 2011 Japan Series 3–4 to the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksYomiuri Giants864315Won 2012 Japan Series 4–2 over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersYomiuri Giants84537Lost 2013 Japan Series 3–4 to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesYomiuri Giants82611Lost 2014 Central League Climax Series 1–4 to the Hanshin TigersTokyo Yakult Swallows76652Lost 2015 Japan Series 1–4 to the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksHiroshima Toyo Carp89522Lost 2016 Japan Series 2–4 to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersHiroshima Toyo Carp88514Lost 2017 Central League Climax Series 2–4 to the Yokohama DeNA BayStarsHiroshima Toyo Carp82592Lost 2018 Japan Series 1–4-1 to the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksYomiuri Giants77642Lost 2019 Japan Series 0–4 to the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksYomiuri Giants67458Lost 2020 Japan Series 0–4 to the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksTokyo Yakult Swallows735218Won 2021 Japan Series 4–2 over the Orix BuffaloesTokyo Yakult Swallows80594Lost 2022 Japan Series 2–4–1 to the Orix BuffaloesHanshin Tigers85535Won 2023 Japan Series 4–3 over the Orix BuffaloesYomiuri Giants77597Lost 2024 Central League Climax Series 3–4 to the Yokohama DeNA BayStarsHanshin Tigers85544Lost 2025 Japan Series 4–1 to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Climax Series winners 2025 Hanshin Tigers 2024 Yokohama DeNA BayStars 2023 Hanshin Tigers 2022 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2021 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2020 Yomiuri Giants 2019 Yomiuri Giants 2018 Hiroshima Toyo Carp 2017 Yokohama DeNA BayStars 2016 Hiroshima Toyo Carp 2015 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2014 Hanshin Tigers 2013 Yomiuri Giants 2012 Yomiuri Giants 2011 Chunichi Dragons 2010 Chunichi Dragons 2009 Yomiuri Giants 2008 Yomiuri Giants 2007 Chunichi Dragons

Central League statistics TeamFirstSecondThirdYomiuri Giants391215Chunichi Dragons92315Hiroshima Toyo Carp9710Tokyo Yakult Swallows966Hanshin Tigers72117Yokohama DeNA BayStars2713Shochiku Robins100Nishi Nippon Pirates000

Most Valuable Pitcher See: Best Nine Award#Other notes

Best Nine Awards

See also

Pacific League

References

External links Official website Japanese Baseball Data Archive at The Baseball Guru List of players at Japanese Baseball