Japanese Baseball May 4, 2022
Yuki Yanagita homers for second day in row as Hawks beat Buffaloes
A day after lifting the Hawks to a 7-3 win with his grand slam, Yanagita was once again the hero for the home side at Fukuoka's PayPay Dome.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Dec 17, 2021
Hawks' Yuki Yanagita becomes highest-paid position player in NPB history
The 33-year-old hit .300 with 28 homers and 80 RBIs in 141 games in 2021 and was also a member of Japan's gold-winning Olympic baseball team.
Japanese Baseball May 5, 2021
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks relied on their batting and pitching depth in a 6-4 win over Pacific League rivals the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Tuesday, with Yuki Yanagita going 3-for-4 as one of five Hawks hitters with RBIs. Yuki Tsumori (1-0) earned his first ...
Japanese Baseball Dec 23, 2020
PL MVP Yuki Yanagita and Hawks agree to ¥610 million contract
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks outfielder Yuki Yanagita, who won his second Pacific League MVP award last week, signed a contract worth ¥610 million ($5.9 million) plus incentives for next season on Wednesday. The deal, a ¥40 million increase from his last salary, equals Hideki Matsui's salary ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Dec 17, 2020
Tomoyuki Sugano and Yuki Yanagita win MVP honors in NPB
by Jason Coskrey
The Giants ace and Hawks slugger each won the award for the second time.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Nov 26, 2020
Hawks sweep Giants again to clinch fourth straight Japan Series title
by Jason Coskrey
SoftBank claimed its seventh title since 2011 and did it with a sweep that was even more dominant than the last one.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | The week in NPB Aug 31, 2020
Giants and Hawks in driver's seat at halfway mark in NPB
by Jason Coskrey
Despite the shortened schedule, there's still plenty to look forward to in the 2020 campaign.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Aug 21, 2020
Airing games in U.S. only first step in Pacific League's plan to take Japanese baseball abroad
by Jason Coskrey
For a nation so famous for its baseball exports — from Hideo Nomo to Shohei Ohtani — Japan hasn’t done a very good job at promoting Nippon Professional Baseball outside its own borders. The Pacific League, the more forward-thinking of NPB’s two leagues, could spark ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | The week in NPB Aug 17, 2020
Yasuhiro Ogawa's no-hitter provides major lift for Swallows pitching staff
by Jason Coskrey
The Swallows are in desperate need of good results on the mound.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | The week in NPB Jul 13, 2020
Yuki Yanagita powers Hawks past Eagles in six-game series
by Jason Coskrey
With no All-Star Game, Yuki Yanagita held his own personal home run derby last week in Fukuoka. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles may have arrived from Sendai in first place and with NPB's hottest hitter, Hideto Asamura, but it was Yanagita whose star shone brightest ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | NPB Preview Jun 15, 2020
Six players to watch in the Pacific League in 2020
by Jason Coskrey
From Hawks outfielder Yuki Yanagita to aspiring Rakuten starter Yuki Matsui, there's plenty of stellar talent to look forward to from the Pa League.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | Sac Bunts Oct 24, 2019
Hawks display tremendous depth, talent en route to Japan Series three-peat
by Jason Coskrey
The only thing left to do is marvel at the absolute playoff strength of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Simply calling them strong somehow feels inadequate. But the Hawks have rendered the extraordinary so mind-numbingly routine during the last several postseasons, purposeful simplicity is probably the ...