The 2023 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles season was the 19th season of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles franchise. The Eagles play their home games at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi in the city of Sendai as members of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League. The team was led by Kazuhisa Ishii in his third season as team manager.

Regular season Standings + 2023 Pacific League regular season standings Team 1Orix Buffaloes14386534—41–28–345–25–12Chiba Lotte Marines*1437068515½42–27–228–40–33Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks*1437169315½39–32–032–37–34Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles143707121738–33–132–38–15Saitama Seibu Lions1436577122½33–37–132–40–06Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters1436082127½31–40–029–42–1  = League champion and advanced directly to the final stage of the Climax Series = Advanced to the first stage of the Climax Series

Record vs. opponents + 2023 record vs. opponentsTeamBuffaloesEaglesFightersHawksLionsMarines Buffaloes — 15–10 15–9–1 13–11−1 17–8 15–8−2 11–7 Eagles 10–15 — 15–10 14–10−1 10–14–1 12–13 9–9 Fighters 9–15–1 10–15 — 11–14 9–16 11–14 10–8 Hawks 11–13−1 10–14−1 14–11 — 13–12 12–12−1 11–7 Lions 8–17 14–10–1 16–9 12–13 — 9–16 6–12 Marines 8–15−2 13–12 14–11 12–12−1 16–9 — 7–9−2

Interleague + 2023 regular season interleague standings Team 1Yokohama DeNA BayStars181170.611—6–35–42Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks181170.611—4–57–23Yomiuri Giants181170.611—5–46–34Orix Buffaloes181170.611—4–57–25Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters181080.55614–56–36Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles18990.50025–44–57Hiroshima Toyo Carp18990.50024–55–48Chiba Lotte Marines18792.43835–42–5−29Chunichi Dragons187101.4123½2–6−15–410Hanshin Tigers187101.4123½4–4−13–611Tokyo Yakult Swallows187110.38943–64–512Saitama Seibu Lions186120.33354–52–7  = Interleague champion

Chihō ballparks

The Eagles hosted three home games outside of Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi in 2023. Two were played at chihō, or "countryside", ballparks in Yamagata and Iwate Prefectures in Japan's Tōhoku region and the third was played at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. The game in Iwate Prefecture was played at the new Kitagin Ballpark; it was the first time a professional baseball game was played in the stadium.

+ 2023 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles chihō ballparks Ballpark City Prefecture Kirayaka Stadium Yamagata Yamagata Prefecture Kitagin Ballpark Morioka Iwate Prefecture Tokyo Dome Bunkyō Tokyo

Opening Day starting roster Rakuten's 2023 Opening Day game was on Thursday, March 30, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Es Con Field Hokkaido. The game was the first official NPB game to be played at the new stadium.

+ 2023 Rakuten Eagles Opening Day starting roster Order Player Position 1 Ryosuke Tatsumi Center fielder 2 Hiroto Kobukata Left fielder 3 Maikel Franco Designated hitter 4 Hideto Asamura Second baseman 5 Hiroaki Shimauchi Right fielder 6 Toshiki Abe First baseman 7 Tsuyoshi Yamasaki Shortstop 8 Yukiya Itoh Third baseman 9 Yuma Yasuda Catcher — Masahiro Tanaka Starting pitcher

Game log

|-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 1 || March 30 || @ Fighters || 3–1 || M. Tanaka (1–0) || Kato (0–1) || Y. Matsui (1) || Es Con Field || 31,092 || 1–0–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 2 || April 1 || @ Fighters || 3–4 || Suzuki (1–0) || Miyamori (0–1) || — || Es Con Field || 30,637 || 1–1–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 3 || April 2 || @ Fighters || 2–1 || Fujihira (1–0) || Kitayama (0–1) || Y. Matsui (2) || Es Con Field || 30,775 || 2–1–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 4 || April 4 || Lions || 0–4 || Imai (1–0) || Norimoto (0–1) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 24,365 || 2–2–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 5 || April 5 || Lions || 1–0 || Hayakawa (1–0) || Sumida (0–1) || Y. Matsui (3) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 21,526 || 3–2–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 6 || April 6 || Lions || 1–2 || Matsumoto (1–0) || M. Tanaka (1–1) || Masuda (1) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 19,034 || 3–3–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 7 || April 8 || @ Marines || 4–5 || Sawamura (1–0) || Nishiguchi (0–1) || Masuda (3) || Zozo Marine Stadium || 27,444 || 3–4–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 8 || April 9 || @ Marines || 1–10 || Taneichi (1–1) || Kishi (0–1) || — || Zozo Marine Stadium || 28,848 || 3–5–0 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 9 || April 11 || Buffaloes || 0–6 || Yamashita (1–0) || Norimoto (0–2) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 13,165 || 3–6–0 || L4 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 10 || April 12 || Buffaloes || 2–7 || Tajima (1–1) || Hayakawa (1–1) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 12,488 || 3–7–0 || L5 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 11 || April 14 || Hawks || 3–0 || M. Tanaka (2–1) || Wada (1–1) || Y. Matsui (4) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 15,728 || 4–7–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 15 || Hawks || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: October 7 || Rakuten Mobile Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 12 || April 16 || Hawks || 3–6 || Tsumori (2–0) || Nishiguchi (0–2) || Osuna (3) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 18,504 || 4–8–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 13 || April 18 || @ Buffaloes || 5–1 || M. Itoh (1–0) || Waguespack (2–1) || — || Kyocera Dome || 15,173 || 5–8–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 14 || April 19 || @ Buffaloes || 1–2 || Tajima (2–1) || Nishiguchi (0–3) || Yo. Hirano (4) || Kyocera Dome || 14,983 || 5–9–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 15 || April 20 || @ Buffaloes || 1–3 || Yamasaki (1–0) || Fujihira (1–1) || Waguespack (1) || Kyocera Dome || 13,873 || 5–10–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 16 || April 21 || Fighters || 8–7 || Suzuki (1–0) || S. Tanaka (0–1) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 16,442 || 6–10–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 17 || April 22 || Fighters || 3–5 || Uwasawa (2–1) || Shoji (0–1) || Miyanishi (1) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 17,161 || 6–11–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 18 || April 23 || Fighters || 4–3 || Uchi (1–0) || Tamai (0–1) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 21,128 || 7–11–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 25 || @ Hawks || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: October 2 || Kitakyushu Stadium || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 19 || April 26 || @ Hawks || 2–4 || Wada (2–1) || Hayakawa (1–2) || Osuna (4) || PayPay Dome || 34,858 || 7–12–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 20 || April 27 || @ Hawks || 3–5 || Mori (1–0) || Takinaka (0–1) || Osuna (5) || PayPay Dome || 35,102 || 7–13–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 21 || April 28 || @ Lions || 0–4 || Imai (3–0) || M. Tanaka (2–2) || — || Belluna Dome || 16,453 || 7–14–0 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 22 || April 29 || @ Lions || 8–2 || Fujihira (2–1) || K. Takahashi (3–1) || — || Belluna Dome || 24,148 || 8–14–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 23 || April 30 || @ Lions || 7–6 || Y. Matsui (1–0) || Yoza (0–1) || Sakai (1) || Belluna Dome || 22,176 || 9–14–0 || W2

|-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 24 || May 2 || Marines || 5–1 || Kishi (1–1) || Nishino (3−1) || Y. Matsui (5) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 21,550 || 10–14–0 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 25 || May 3 || Marines || 0−2 || Sawamura (3–0) || Uchi (1–1) || Masuda (9) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 25,143 || 10−15−0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 26 || May 4 || Marines || 6−0 || T. Matsui (1−0) || Mori (1−1) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 25,134 || 11−15−0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 27 || May 5 || @ Fighters || 2−5 || Miyauchi (1−0) || Nishiguchi (0–4) || S. Tanaka (4) || Es Con Field || 26,342 || 11−16−0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 28 || May 6 || @ Fighters || 5−0 || Takinaka (1–1) || Uwasawa (3–2) || — || Es Con Field || 26,761 || 12−16−0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 29 || May 7 || @ Fighters || 2−3 || S. Tanaka (1−1) || Miyamori (0–2) || — || Es Con Field || 25,250 || 12−17−0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 30 || May 9 || Buffaloes || 0−2 || Miyagi (4−0) || Hayakawa (1–3) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 17,459 || 12−18−0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 31 || May 10 || Buffaloes || 2−8 || Tajima (4–2) || Kishi (1–2) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 23,480 || 12−19−0 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 32 || May 11 || Buffaloes || 7−3 || Norimoto (1–2) || Kuroki (0−2) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 21,709 || 13−19−0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffeeaa" | 33 || May 12 || @ Lions || 4−4 || colspan=3| Game tied after 12 innings || Belluna Dome || 12,675 || 13−19−1 || T1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 34 || May 13 || @ Lions || 4−7 || K. Takahashi (3–1) || Fujihira (2–2) || Moriwaki (1) || Belluna Dome || 18,417 || 13−20−1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 35 || May 14 || @ Lions || 5−0 || Takinaka (2–1) || Sumida (1–4) || — || Belluna Dome || 22,257 || 14−20−1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 36 || May 16 || Hawks || 3−0 || Hayakawa (2–3) || Ohzeki (2−4) || Y. Matsui (6) || Kitagin Ballpark || 16,070 || 15−20−1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 37 || May 17 || Hawks || 1−10 || Wada (3–1) || Shoji (0–2) || — || Kirayaka Stadium || 9,912 || 15−21−1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || May 19 || Marines || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: October 9 || Rakuten Mobile Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 38 || May 20 || Marines || 1−6 || Nishino (5−1) || Norimoto (1–3) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 18,119 || 15−22−1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 39 || May 21 || Marines || 4−6 || Hirohata (1−0) || Takinaka (2–2) || Perdomo (1) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 17,859 || 15−23−1 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 40 || May 23 || @ Buffaloes || 0−8 || Yamashita (4–0) || M. Tanaka (2–3) || — || Hotto Motto Field || 21,055 || 15−24−1 || L4 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 41 || May 24 || @ Buffaloes || 5−6 || Waguespack (2–2) || Y. Matsui (1–1) || — || Hotto Motto Field || 21,362 || 15−25−1 || L5 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 42 || May 26 || Fighters || 4−3 || Uchi (2–1) || H. Itoh (2−4) || Y. Matsui (7) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 16,444 || 16−25−1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 43 || May 27 || Fighters || 1−3 || Suzuki (4–2) || T. Matsui (1−1) || S. Tanaka (7) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 20,111 || 16−26−1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 44 || May 28 || Fighters || 3−2 || Sung (1−0) || Rodriguez (0−3) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 20,954 || 17−26−1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-top: solid 2px black; border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 45 || May 30 || BayStars || 2−3 || Imanaga (3−1) || Norimoto (1–4) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 13,061 || 17−27−1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 46 || May 31 || BayStars || 3−1 || M. Tanaka (3–3) || Wendelken (1−1) || Y. Matsui (8) || Rakuten Mobile Park || 13,677 || 18−27−1 || W1

|-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 47 || June 1 || BayStars || 3−11 || K. Azuma (5−2) || Takinaka (2–3) || — || Rakuten Mobile Park || 12,406 || 18−28−1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | — || June 2 || @ Swallows || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: June 20 || Meiji Jingu Stadium || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 48 || June 3 || @ Swallows || 5−9 || Peters (2−1) || Hayakawa (2–4) || — || Meiji Jingu Stadium || 29,345 || 18−29−1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 49 || June 4 || @ Swallows || 2−5 || Kozawa (1−1) || Shoji (0–3) || Taguchi (12) || Meiji Jingu Stadium || 29,602 || 18−30−1 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black"