The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks fielded a pitching juggernaut in 2011, the likes of which will be hard to replicate without the help of outside forces.
That team, in fact, was aided by outside forces. That was the year NPB introduced its first standardized ball — which zapped offense at a near-historic level and was later found to have been deadened more than NPB standards allow.
Still, the numbers that group produced. . . they led Japan with a 2.32 team ERA, which entering this year is the second-lowest of at least the last decade, and featured four starters (D.J. Houlton, Tadashi Settsu, Toshiya Sugiuchi and Tsuyoshi Wada) who threw at least 170 innings with an ERA under 3.00, Settsu's 2.79 ERA was the highest by far, and a very good bullpen. Of the nine pitchers to start at least one game for Softbank that year, only one ended the year with an ERA above 3.00.