The Chiba Lotte Marines are a professional baseball team in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region of Japan and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.. They are a founding member of the Pacific League since its inception in 1950. Originally known as the Mainichi Orions, they won the inaugural 1950 Japan Series. In 1992, in conjunction with the move to Chiba Marine Stadium, the team rebranded to their current name.
In 76 seasons of play, the Marines have won the Japan Series four times (1950, 1974, 2005, 2010) while winning five Pacific League pennants.
In the playoff era of the Pacific League (1973–1982, 2004-present), the Marines have made the postseason fourteen times (1974, 1977, 1980, 1981, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024).
Table key + Key to symbols and terms in season tableWNumber of regular season winsLNumber of regular season lossesTNumber of regular season tiesGBGames behind from league's first-place teamROYPacific League Rookie of the Year AwardMVPPacific League Most Valuable Player AwardESAEiji Sawamura AwardMSAMatsutaro Shoriki AwardSeries MVPJapan Series Most Valuable Player Award
Season-by-season records Japan Series Champions(1950–present) †Pacific League Pennant(1950–present) Pacific League Regular Season Champions(1950–present) ^Climax Series Berth(2004–present) ¤ Season LeagueFinishWinsLossesTiesWin%GBPlayoffsAwardsMainichi Orions1950 Pacific1st 81 34 5.704 —Won Japan Series (Robins) 4–2Kaoru Betto (MVP)Kaoru Betto (Series MVP)1951 Pacific3rd54 51 5 .514 22.51952 Pacific2nd75 45 0 .625 11953 Pacific5th56 62 2 .475 14.51954 Pacific3rd79 57 4 .581 10.51955 Pacific3rd85 55 2 .607 141956 Pacific4th84 66 4 .558 13.51957 Pacific3rd75 52 5 .587 8Daimai Orions1958 Pacific4th62 63 5 .496 161959 Pacific2nd82 48 6 .631 61960 Pacific 1st 8248 3 .631—Lost Japan Series (Whales) 4–0Kazuhiro Yamauchi (MVP)1961 Pacific4th72 66 2 .521 151962 Pacific4th60 70 2 .462 181963 Pacific5th64 85 1 .430 23.5Tokyo Orions1964 Pacific4th77 68 5 .53161965 Pacific5th62 74 4 .456 25.5 1966 Pacific4th61 69 4 .469 181967 Pacific5th61 69 7 .469 141968 Pacific3rd67 63 9 .515 13Lotte Orions1969 Pacific 3rd 69 54 7 .561 5.51970 Pacific 1st 80 47 3 .630 — Lost Japan Series (Giants) (4–1)Masaaki Kitaru (MVP)1971 Pacific2nd80 46 4 .635 3.5 1972 Pacific5th59 68 3 .465 20.51973 Pacific 2nd/2nd 70 49 11 .588 1974 Pacific 2nd/1st 69 50 11 .580Won Pacific League playoffs (Braves) 3–0Won Japan Series (Dragons) 4–2Tomehiro Kaneda (MVP)Sumio Hirota (Series MVP)1975 Pacific6th/2nd59 65 6 .4761976 Pacific3rd/3rd63 56 11 .5291977 Pacific5th/1st60 57 13 .513 Lost Pacific League playoffs (Braves) 3–21978 Pacific5th/3rd53 62 15 .461 1979 Pacific4th/3rd55 63 12 .4661980 Pacific1st/3rd64 51 15 .557Lost Pacific League playoffs (Buffaloes) 3–0 1981 Pacific1st/3rd 63 57 10 .525Lost Pacific League playoffs (Fighters) 3–1–1 1982 Pacific6th/4th 54 69 7 .439 Hiromitsu Ochiai (MVP)1983 Pacific6th43 76 11 .361 39.51984 Pacific2nd64 51 15 .557 8.51985 Pacific2nd64 60 6 .516 15Hiromitsu Ochiai (MVP)1986 Pacific4th57 64 9 .471 131987 Pacific5th51 65 14 .440 201988 Pacific6th54 74 2 .422211989 Pacific6th48 74 8 .393 21.51990 Pacific5th57 712 .445 251991 Pacific6th48 77 5 .384 33.5Chiba Lotte Marines 1992 Pacific6th54 74 2 .422 26.5 1993 Pacific5th51 77 2 .398 23.51994 Pacific5th55 73 2 .430 211995 Pacific2nd69 58 3 .543 121996 Pacific5th60 67 3 .472 15.51997 Pacific6th57 76 2 .429 19.51998 Pacific6th61 71 3 .462 9.51999 Pacific4th63 70 2 .474 15.52000Pacific5th62 67 6 .48192001Pacific5th64 74 2 .464 142002Pacific4th67 72 1 .482 232003Pacific4th68 69 3 .496 12004Pacific4th65 65 3 .500 12.5 2005Pacific1st84 49 3 .632 –Won Pacific League Playoffs First Stage (Lions) 2–0Won Pacific League Playoffs Second Stage (Hawks) 3–2Won Japan Series (Tigers) (4–0)Toshiaki Imae (Series MVP)2006Pacific4th65 70 1 .481 16.5 2007Pacific2nd76 61 7 .555 2 Won Climax Series First Stage (Hawks) 2–1Lost Climax Series Second Stage (Fighters) 3–2 2008Pacific4th73 70 1 .510 4.5 2009Pacific5th62 77 5 .446 18.5 2010Pacific3rd75 67 2 .528 2.5Won Climax Series First Stage (Lions) 2–0Won Climax Series Final Stage (Hawks) 4–3Won Japan Series (Dragons) 4–2https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2010/11/08/baseball/japanese-baseball/marines-win-game-7-2010-japan-series/Toshiaki Imae (Series MVP)2011Pacific6th54 79 11 .406 33.52012Pacific5th6267 15 .481 10 2013Pacific3rd74 68 2 .521 8.5Won Climax Series First Stage (Lions) 2–1Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Golden Eagles) 4–12014Pacific4th66 76 2 .465 142015Pacific3rd73 69 1 .514 18.5Won Climax Series First Stage (Fighters) 2–1Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Hawks) 4–02016Pacific3rd72 68 3 .514 15Lost Climax Series First Stage (Hawks) 2–0 2017Pacific6th54 87 2 .383 392018Pacific 5th59 81 3 .421 28.52019Pacific4th69 70 4 .496 9.52020Pacific2nd60 57 3 .513 14Lost Climax Series (Hawks) 3–02021Pacific2nd67 5719 .540 2.5Won Climax Series First Stage (Golden Eagles) 1–0–1Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Buffaloes) 3–02022Pacific5th69 73 1 .486 7.52023Pacific2nd70 68 5 .507 15.5Won Climax Series First Stage (Hawks) 2–1Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Buffaloes) 4–12024Pacific3rd71 66 6 .518 18.5Lost Climax Series First Stage (Fighters) 2–12025Pacific6th56 84 3 .400 31.5
Notes This is determined by calculating the difference in wins plus the difference in losses divided by two. The award was not open to the Pacific League until 1989. The award was not given out in the following years: 1971, 1980, 1984, 2000, 2019, and 2024. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NPB saw both of their leagues modify their playoff format. The Pacific League decided to modify the traditional Climax Series format and eliminate the First Stage series to instead play only one modified Final Stage series while the Central League sent the first-place team directly to the Japan Series, which in this case was Yomiuri. By tying Game 2 after winning the first game, Lotte ensured that the Eagles could do no better than tie the three-game series. A tied series results in the higher-seeded team advancing, therefore a Game 3 is not necessary since Lotte would advance no matter the outcome.
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