View source for Pacific League

{{short description|Nippon Professional Baseball league}}
{{about|the Japanese league|other uses|Mexican Pacific League|and|Pacific Coast League|and|Pacific League (California)}}
{{Expand Japanese|topic=sport|パシフィック・リーグ|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox sports league
| current_season = 
| logo           = Pacific League Logo.png
| pixels         = 250px
| sport          = [[Baseball]]
| founded        = {{start date and age|1949|11|26}} as Taiheiyo Baseball Union in [[Tokyo]]
| teams          = 6
| champion       = [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] (21st title) <!-- refers to PL regular season best record, not PL Climax Series winner nor Japan Series championships -->
| most_champs    = [[Saitama Seibu Lions]] (23) <!-- refers to PL championships, not Japan Series championships -->
| country        = Japan
| President      = 
| website        = [https://npb.jp/pl/ NPB.jp/pl]
}}
The {{Nihongo|'''Pacific League'''|'''[[:ja:パシフィック・リーグ|パシフィック・リーグ]]'''|Pashifikku Rīgu}}, or {{Nihongo|'''Pa League'''|パ・リーグ|Pa Rīgu}}, or the '''{{Nihongo|[[Persol Holdings|Persol]] Pacific League|[[:ja:パーソルホールディングス|パーソル]]パシフィック・リーグ|Pāsoruhōrudingusu Pa rīgu}}''', due to sponsorship reasons, is one of the two [[professional baseball]] leagues constituting [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] in [[Japan]]. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the [[Central League]] for the annual [[Japan Series]]. It currently consists of six teams from around Japan.

== History ==
The circuit was founded as the '''Taiheiyo Baseball Union''' (太平洋野球連盟, ''Taiheiyo Yakyu Renmei'') in 1949 (the name changing to its current form in 1980). [[Daiei Stars]] owner [[Masaichi Nagata]] was the first president of the Pacific League.<ref name=Fame>{{cite web|title=Nagata, Masaichi|url=http://english.baseball-museum.or.jp/baseball_hallo/detail/detail_092.html|work=Hall of Famers List|publisher=The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|access-date=24 September 2011|archive-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101194402/http://english.baseball-museum.or.jp/baseball_hallo/detail/detail_092.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The league began with seven teams: four holdovers from the previous iteration, the [[Japanese Baseball League]]—the [[Hankyu Braves]], the [[Nankai Hawks]], the [[Daiei Stars]], and the [[Tokyu Flyers]]—and three new teams—the [[Kintetsu Pearls]], the [[Mainichi Orions]], and the [[Nishitetsu Clippers]].

In 1954, an eighth Pacific League team was founded, the [[Takahashi Unions]], to increase the number of teams to eight. Although the team was stocked with players from the other Pacific League teams, the Unions struggled from the outset and finished in the second division every season. In 1957, the Unions were merged with the [[Daiei Stars]] to form the [[Daiei Unions]] (and again bringing the number of Pacific League teams down to seven). In their first season, the Unions finished in last place, {{frac|43|1|2}} games out of first. In 1958, the Unions merged with the [[Mainichi Orions]] to form the [[Daimai Orions]]. This enabled the Pacific League to shrink from the ungainly seven-team arrangement to six teams.

[[Fujio Nakazawa]], a former player and television commentator, became the PL's first full-time president in 1959, serving through 1965.<ref>[http://english.baseball-museum.or.jp/baseball_hallo/detail/detail_141.html "Nakazawa, Fujio,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022847/http://english.baseball-museum.or.jp/baseball_hallo/detail/detail_141.html |date=2016-03-04}} The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Japan). Accessed March 27, 2015.</ref>

From 1973 to 1982, the Pacific League employed a [[Apertura and Clausura|split season]], with the first-half winner playing against the second-half winner in a mini-playoff to determine its champion; in two of the eight seasons, a team won both halves of the season to simply advance to the Japan Series.

Beginning in 1975, the Pacific League began using the [[designated hitter]] (DH), as in the [[American League]] in [[Major League Baseball]]. During [[interleague play (NPB)|interleague play]] (adopted in 2005), the DH is used in Pacific League teams' home games.

After the [[2004 Nippon Professional Baseball season]], the [[Orix BlueWave]] and the [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]] [[2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment|merged]] to form the [[Orix Buffaloes]]. A franchise was granted to internet shopping company [[Rakuten]] and the city of [[Sendai]], forming the [[Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles]] to fill the void caused by the merger.

Also since 2004, a three-team [[playoff]] system was introduced in the Pacific League (Pacific League Championship Series). The teams with the second- and third-best records play in the three-game first stage, with the winner advancing to a best-of-six final against the top team (the Pacific League pennant winner is granted a 1 game advantage in the Final Stage). The winner becomes the representative of the Pacific League to the [[Japan Series]].

Since the Pacific League won every Japan Series after introducing this system, an identical system was introduced to the [[Central League]] in 2007, and the post-season intra-league games were renamed the "[[Climax Series]]" in both leagues. Player statistics and drafting order based on team records are not affected by these postseason games.

== Current teams ==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Team
! Japanese name
! style="padding: 0.2em 2.2em"|Founded<ref>{{cite web|author=一般社団法人日本野球機構 |url=https://npb.jp/teams/ |title=球団別インデックス &#124; NPB.jp 日本野球機構 |publisher=Npb.jp |date= |accessdate=2022-08-23}}</ref>
! Location
! Stadium
! Owner
|-
| [[Chiba Lotte Marines]]
| 千葉ロッテマリーンズ<br/>Chiba Rotte Marīnzu
| November 26, 1949
| [[Mihama-ku]], [[Chiba (city)|Chiba]], [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]]
| [[ZOZO Marine Stadium]]
| [[Lotte Holdings]]
|-
| [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]
| 福岡ソフトバンクホークス<br/>Fukuoka Sofutobanku Hōkusu
| February 22, 1938
| [[Chūō-ku, Fukuoka|Chūō-ku]], [[Fukuoka]], [[Fukuoka Prefecture|Fukuoka]]
| [[Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka]]
| [[SoftBank Group]]
|-
| [[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]
| 北海道日本ハムファイターズ<br/>Hokkaidō Nippon-Hamu Faitāzu
| November 6, 1945
| [[Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido|Kitahiroshima]], [[Hokkaidō]]
| [[Es Con Field Hokkaido]]
| [[Nippon Ham]]
|-
| [[Orix Buffaloes]]
| オリックス・バファローズ<br/>Orikkusu Bafarōzu
| January 23, 1936
| HQ in [[Osaka]]
Plays between [[Osaka Prefecture|Osaka]] and [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyogo]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=スタジアムトップ |trans-title=Stadiums |url=https://www.buffaloes.co.jp/stadium/stadium/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=Orix Buffaloes Official Website |language=ja}}</ref>
| [[Kyocera Dome Osaka]] <br />and 
[[Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium|Hotto Motto Field]]
| [[ORIX|ORIX Group]]
|-
| [[Saitama Seibu Lions]]
| 埼玉西武ライオンズ<br/>Saitama Seibu Raionzu
| November 26, 1949
| [[Tokorozawa]], [[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]]
| [[Belluna Dome]]
| [[Seibu Group]]
|-
| [[Tōhoku Rakuten Golden Eagles]]
| 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス<br/>Tōhoku Rakuten Gōruden Īgurusu
| November 2, 2004
| [[Miyagino-ku, Sendai|Miyagino-ku]], [[Sendai]], [[Miyagi Prefecture|Miyagi]]
| [[Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi]]
| [[Rakuten]]
|}

==Pacific League pennant winners==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Team
! [[Win–loss record (pitching)|W]]
! [[Win–loss record (pitching)|L]]
! [[Tie (draw)|T]]
! Postseason Result

|-
|{{npby|1950}}||[[Mainichi Orions]]||81||34||5||Won [[1950 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Shochiku Robins]]
|-
|{{npby|1951}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||72||24||8||Lost [[1951 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1952}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||76||44||1||Lost [[1952 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1953}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||71||48||1||Lost [[1953 Japan Series]] 2–4–1 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1954}}||[[Nishitetsu Lions]]||90||47||3||Lost [[1954 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|1955}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||99||41||3||Lost [[1955 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1956}}||[[Nishitetsu Lions]]||96||51||7||Won [[1956 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1957}}||[[Nishitetsu Lions]]||83||44||5||Won [[1957 Japan Series]] 4–0–1 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1958}}||[[Nishitetsu Lions]]||78||47||5||Won [[1958 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1959}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||88||42||4||Won [[1959 Japan Series]] 4–0 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1960}}||[[Daimai Orions]]||82||48||3||Lost [[1960 Japan Series]] 0–4 to the [[Taiyō Whales]]
|-
|{{npby|1961}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||85||49||6||Lost [[1961 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1962}}||[[Toei Flyers]]||78||52||3||Won [[1962 Japan Series]] 4–2–1 over the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|1963}}||[[Nishitetsu Lions]]||86||60||4||Lost [[1963 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1964}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||84||63||3||Won [[1964 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|1965}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||88||49||3||Lost [[1965 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1966}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||79||51||3||Lost [[1966 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1967}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||75||55||4||Lost [[1967 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1968}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||80||50||4||Lost [[1968 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1969}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||76||50||4||Lost [[1969 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1970}}||[[Lotte Orions]]||80||47||3||Lost [[1970 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1971}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||80||39||11||Lost [[1971 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1972}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||80||48||2||Lost [[1972 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1973}}||[[Nankai Hawks]]||68||58||4||Lost [[1973 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1974}}||[[Lotte Orions]]||69||50||11||Won [[1974 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|1975}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||64||59||7||Won [[1975 Japan Series]] 4–0–2 over the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|1976}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||79||45||6||Won [[1976 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1977}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||69||51||10||Won [[1977 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1978}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||82||39||9||Lost [[1978 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|1979}}||[[Kintetsu Buffaloes]]||74||45||11||Lost [[1979 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|1980}}||[[Kintetsu Buffaloes]]||68||54||8||Lost [[1980 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|1981}}||[[Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||68||54||8||Lost [[1981 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1982}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||68||58||4||Won [[1982 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|1983}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||86||40||4||Won [[1983 Japan Series]] 4–3 the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1984}}||[[Hankyu Braves]]||75||45||10||Lost [[1984 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|1985}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||79||45||6||Lost [[1985 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|1986}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||68||49||13||Won [[1986 Japan Series]] 4–3–1 over the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|1987}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||71||45||14||Won [[1987 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1988}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||73||51||6||Won [[1988 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|1989}}||[[Kintetsu Buffaloes]]||71||54||5||Lost [[1989 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1990}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||81||45||4||Won [[1990 Japan Series]] 4–0 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1991}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||81||43||6||Won [[1991 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|1992}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||80||47||3||Won [[1992 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|1993}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||74||53||3||Lost [[1993 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|1994}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||76||52||2||Lost [[1994 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1995}}||[[Orix BlueWave]]||82||47||1||Lost [[1995 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|1996}}||[[Orix BlueWave]]||74||50||6||Won [[1996 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|1997}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||76||56||3||Lost [[1997 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|1998}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||70||61||4||Lost [[1998 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yokohama BayStars]]
|-
|{{npby|1999}}||[[Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]]||78||54||3||Won [[1999 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|2000}}||[[Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]]||73||60||2||Lost [[2000 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2001}}||[[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]]||78||60||2||Lost [[2001 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|2002}}||[[Seibu Lions]]||90||49||1||Lost [[2002 Japan Series]] 0–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2003}}||[[Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]]||82||55||3||Won [[2003 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|2004}}*||[[Seibu Lions]]||74||58||1||Won [[2004 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|2005}}*||[[Chiba Lotte Marines]]||84||49||3||Won [[2005 Japan Series]] 4–0 over the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|2006}}*||[[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||82||54||0||Won [[2006 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|2007}}||[[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||79||60||5||Lost [[2007 Japan Series]] 1–4 to the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|2008}}||[[Saitama Seibu Lions]]||76||64||4||Won [[2008 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2009}}||[[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||82||60||2||Lost [[2009 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2010}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||76||63||5||Lost [[2010 Pacific League Climax Series]] 3–4 to the [[Chiba Lotte Marines]]
|-
|{{npby|2011}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||88||46||10||Won [[2011 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Chunichi Dragons]]
|-
|{{npby|2012}}||[[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||74||59||11||Lost [[2012 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2013}}||[[Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles]]||82||59||3||Won [[2013 Japan Series]] 4–3 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2014}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||78||60||6||Won [[2014 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|2015}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||90||49||4||Won [[2015 Japan Series]] 4–1 over the [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|2016}}||[[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||87||53||3||Won [[2016 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]]
|-
|{{npby|2017}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||94||49||0||Won [[2017 Japan Series]] 4–2 over the [[Yokohama DeNA BayStars]]
|-
|{{npby|2018}}||[[Saitama Seibu Lions]]||88||53||2||Lost [[2018 Pacific League Climax Series]] 2–4 to the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]
|-
|{{npby|2019}}||[[Saitama Seibu Lions]]||80||62||1||Lost [[2019 Pacific League Climax Series]] 1–4 to the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]
|-
|{{npby|2020}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||73||42||5||Won [[2020 Japan Series]] 4–0 over the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
|-
|{{npby|2021}}||[[Orix Buffaloes]]||70||55||18||Lost [[2021 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|2022}}||[[Orix Buffaloes]]||76||65||2||Won [[2022 Japan Series]] 4–2–1 over the [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]]
|-
|{{npby|2023}}||[[Orix Buffaloes]]||86||53||4||Lost [[2023 Japan Series]] 3–4 to the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|-
|{{npby|2024}}||[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||91||49||3||Lost [[2024 Japan Series]] 2–4 to the [[Yokohama DeNA BayStars]]
|-
|[[2025 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2025]]
|[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]
|87
|52
|4
|Won [[2025 Japan Series]] 4-1 over the [[Hanshin Tigers]]
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>From 2004 to 2006 the winner of the play-offs was considered Pacific League Champion, afterwards the regular season champion again.

==Pacific League statistics==
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Team
![[Pennant (sports)|First]]
!Second
!Third
|-
|[[Saitama Seibu Lions]]||23||12||15
|-
|[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]||21||17||7
|-
|[[Orix Buffaloes]]||15||15||9
|-
|[[Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters]]||7||9||15
|-
|[[Chiba Lotte Marines]]||5||9||14
|-
|[[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]]||4||9||8
|-
|[[Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles]]||1||1||3
|-
|[[Daiei Unions]]||0||0||2
|-
|[[Takahashi Unions]]||0||0||0
|}

==Most Valuable Pitcher==
:''See: [[Best Nine Award#Other notes]]''

==Best Nine Awards==
{{main|Best Nine Award}}

==See also==
* [[Nippon Professional Baseball]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{in lang|ja}} [http://www.npb.or.jp/pl Official website]
* {{in lang|ja}} [https://archive.today/20121209121803/http://www.pacificleague.jp/ PACIFIC LEAGUE.JP]
* [http://baseballguru.com/jalbright/stats.html Japanese Baseball Data Archive] at ''The Baseball Guru''
* [http://japanesebaseball.com/players/index.jsp List of players] at ''Japanese Baseball''

{{Japanese Professional Baseball}}
{{Baseball in Japan}}
{{Pacific League MVPs}}
{{Baseball leagues}}
{{Professional Baseball}}
{{Sports leagues in Japan}}

[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball|1]]
[[Category:Baseball leagues in Japan|2]]
[[Category:1949 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 1949]]
[[Category:Annual events in Japan]]
[[Category:Professional sports leagues in Japan]]