Fukuoka Softbank Hawks outfielder Seiichi Uchikawa has pretty much wrapped up the 2011 Pacific League batting title. With just a few games remaining, Uchikawa was batting .341 as of Thursday and had a 22 percentage point lead over his nearest competitor, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Yoshio Itoi, hitting .319.
Uchikawa will have won the crown in both leagues, having led the Central League with a .378 average in 2008 while with the Yokohama BayStars.
This year's CL batman race, though, appears to be going down to the wire with the main contenders being second-year players Hisayoshi Chono of the Yomiuri Giants and American Matt Murton of the Hanshin Tigers. Through games of Wednesday, Murton was the league leader with a .315 average; Chono was right behind, batting .313. The Giants had but four games remaining; the Tigers 11.