Can the Yokohama BayStars become this year's Hiroshima Carp?
It was the Carp who seemingly came from a so-so fourth-place finish in 2015 to win the 2016 Central League pennant by a whopping 17½ games.
Hiroshima put together a team of veterans and young players, produced a potent pitching staff and a powerful batting lineup, beat the third-place BayStars in the CL Climax Series Final Stage and finally ran out of gas, falling short in a six-game Japan Series loss to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.