For the first time in 59 years, two teams representing the “Kan-Sai (Central-Western area of Japan’s main Honshu Island)” region - Hanshin Tigers for the Central League and the Orix Buffaloes of the Pacific League - will meet in the NPB Japan Series to determine the status of “First of Japan” when the series starts on Saturday.
After defeating the Chiba Lotte Marines, Orix Buffaloes of the Pacific League have advanced to the Japan Series for the third time in as many years. The Buffaloes will face the Hanshin Tigers form the Central League, who swept the Hiroshima Carps to advance to the Japan Series for the first time in nine years.
The match of the Buffaloes and the Tigers marks the first time two teams from the Kansai area will contest the Japan Series in 59 years. In 1964, Nankai Hawks (predecessor of now Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) and Hanshin Tigers met in the Japan Series and the Hawks won the title in seven games.
This is also the first time in NPB history to feature the Tigers and the Buffaloes in the Japan Series and has therefore been nicknamed “The Great Kansai Derby.”
NPB started its interleague play in 2005 and the games between the Tigers and the Buffaloes have been called the “Kansai Derby” ever since.
During the history of the interleague, the Buffaloes possess a slight edge over the Tigers with a record of 33 wins, 32 losses and three draws.
The Buffaloes will be led by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gold medallist Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a league-leading 16-game winner with the career-low ERA of 1.21. In addition to leading the league with wins and ERA, he also leads the Pacific League with 169 strikeouts and 0.88 WHIP. Yamamoto is expected to be the starter of Game One.
The Tigers will send their rookie sensation Shoki Murakami to take on the Buffaloes in Game One. Murakami finished the season with 10-6 record and led the Central League with 1.75 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. During the playoff against the Hiroshima Carps, Murakami threw a 6-inning, one-run game en route to the win, while becoming the first Tiger to knock in the winning RBI in the franchises’ post-season history.
On the offensive side of the game, the Buffaloes are known for their slugging power as their 109 home runs rank 1st among all teams in the Pacific League. The Tigers, known for their speed with the league-leading 79 stolen bases, are not as sluggish as they only sent 84 longballs out to the fence, the second fewest among the Central League teams.
The first two games of Japan Series 2023 will be held at the Buffaloes' home stadium Kyocera Dome in Osaka.
The Buffaloes defeated Yakult Swallows in last year’s Japan Series and are looking to defend their title for the first time during the Orix franchise era. The Buffaloes’ predecessor, Hankyu Braves, three-peated across the 1975, 1976 and 1977 seasons.
Buffaloes’ manager Satoshi Nakajima is looking forward to the series and is particularly excited about the participation of the fans from both the Tigers and the Buffaloes. “Tigers fans are well known to be excited and enthusiastic, but I believe our (Buffaloes) fans will be as excited and will not be inferior at all.
"The concept of this Kansai Series is really exciting,” said Nakajima.
The Tigers' games at Koshien Stadium averaged 41,064 fans this year and is the only NPB team to break the 40,000 mark. The Buffaloes averaged 35,996 this year, ranking 8th among all 12 teams in NPB.
