NPB Climax Series: Tickets, Tips and More!

Thumbnail: NPB_logo.svg By: NPB (logo in public domain)

Yomiuri, Hokkaido Enjoy Home Edge in Climax Series Stage 1

The NPB Playoffs First Stage sees the Yomiuri Giants host defending champs Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the Central League Climax Series and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters host the Orix Buffaloes in the Pacific League Climax Series in a best-of-3 series.

Last 2024 NPB season, Yomiuri was the No. 1 seed in the Central League but was eliminated by Yokohama in the Central League Final Stage (4-3). Fukuoka was the No. 1 seed in the Pacific League and beat Hokkaido in the Pacific League Final Stage (4-0).

The SoftBank Hawks would then go on to win the 2024 NPB championship, defeating the BayStars in the 2024 Japan Series, 4-2, so a repeat title is a real possibility this year in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The winners of the Central League Climax Series will face Hanshin Tigers in the Central Final Stage in a best-of-6 series at Koshien Stadium, while the Pacific League Climax Series winners get the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka.

Both Hanshin and Fukuoka will start their Final Stage series with earned 1-0 leads. The winners of the Central League Final Stage and the Pacific League Final Stage will then meet in the 2025 Japan Series (Nippon Series) to determine the NPB league champions.

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾

2025 NPB Regular Season Final Results and Trends

Fukuoka had the best record (87-52-4) while the Chiba Lotte Marines had the worst record (56-84-3). The SoftBank Hawks also had the best Interleague record at 12-5-1 (7-1-1 at Home) while the Tokyo Yakult Swallows had the worst Interleague record (5-12-1).

The best Home team in NPB was, you guessed it, Fukuoka at 44-24-3 while Chiba Lotte was the worst Home team at 33-38-1. The best Road team in NPB was Hanshin at 44-25-3 while Chiba Lotte was also the worst Road team at 23-46-2. Maybe next year?

The Tigers won a franchise record-tying 11 straight games (late June to early July).

Hanshin slugger Teruaki Satō led NPB in both Home Runs (38) and RBI (96) while Hiroshima’s Kaito Kozono had the most Hits (158) with Orix’s Ryōma Nishikawa (.312) edging out Kozono (.310) for the overall highest Batting Average.

On the pitching mound, Yokohama’s Katsuki Azuma and Nippon’s Hiromi Itoh both had 14 Wins this season, while Itoh recorded the most Strikeouts (175) and Innings Pitched (175.2). Hanshi’s Daichi Ishii had the lowest ERA at a microscopic 0.18.

2025 Climax Series Teams Head-to-Head Records in 2025

Looking at the four Climax Series Stage 1 teams and their head-to-head records this Regular Season, we see that the Yomiuri Giants went 15-9-1 vs the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the 25 league meetings, but were 2 games behind them in the standings in the end.

This will be only the third time these two Central League Climax Series teams have met in the Playoffs, with the defending NPB champions Yokohama DeNA winning both times.

Over in the Pacific League, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters split their season series with the Orix Buffaloes (12-12-1), but the Fighters finished 9 games higher in the standings and will host the Pacific League Climax Series.

Expect defending champions Yokohama to advance from the Central League Climax Series despite Yomiuri having the Homefield advantage in the possible 3-game series with Hokkaido sweeping Orix in the Pacific League Climax Series behind the bat of Franmil Reyes.

Every current team in the 12-club league has won the Japan Series at least once.

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾

Players to Watch in the Central League Climax Series

Yomiuri Giants

Manager Shinnosuke Abe and the Yomiuri Giants are led at the plate by captain Kazuma Okamoto (.327/15/49), former MLB Angels and Astros 1B Trey Cabbage (.267/17/51), and Richard Sunagawa (.211/11/39).

The starting pitching for the Kyojin is average, with ace Iori Yamasaki (11-4, 2.07 ERA) the only shining spot with relievers Kota Nagagawa (36 Holds, 2.24 ERA), Eito Tanaka (36 Holds, 2.13 ERA), and Taisei Ota (46 Holds, 2.11 ERA) all solid out of the Yomiuri bullpen.

This team was once great, but with no title in the 12 years and little depth, expect an exit.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Manager Daisuke Miura and the defending champion Yokohama DeNA BayStars have better bats with Austin Tyler (.269/11/28), Shugo Maki (.277/16/49), Keita Sano (.274/ 15/70), and Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh (.228/20/43).

Yokohama also may have the better starting pitching with ace Katsuki Azuma (14-8, 2.19), Andre Jackson (10-7, 2.33), and former MLB star Trevor Bauer, with Hiromu Ise (32 Holds, 2.89) and Rowan Wick (21 Holds, 0.84) the best of the BayStars bullpen.

We can probably expect to see a low-scoring Yamasaki-Azuma showdown in Game 1.

Players to Watch in the Pacific League Climax Series

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are led at the plate by star Franmil Reyes (.277/32/90, 58 Runs), Kotaro Kiyomiya (.272/12/65/58 Runs), Chusei Mannami (.277/20/56), and Shun Mizutani (.277/12/41).

The Fighters’ best starting pitchers are Hiromi Itoh (14-8/2.52/175 K/175.2 IP) and Kota Tatsu (8-2, 2.09), while Seigi Tanaka (13 Saves, 12 Holds), Ryusei Kawano (18 Holds), and Taisho Tamai (17 Holds) lead the Hokkaido relief pitchers.

Orix Buffaloes

Manager Mamoru Kishida and the Orix Buffaloes have some decent sticks in Yutaro Sugimoto (.259/16/53), Yuma Tongu (.249/13/54), Keita Nakagawa (.284/12/53), and Ryo Ohta (.283/10/52) and will be seeking their sixth NPB championship this Fall.

But the Buffaloes have really poor starting pitching and their best starter is Allen Kuri (11-8, 2.41) with Luis Pedromo (33 Holds, 3.17) and Andres Machado (26 Saves, 2.28) the best relievers.

Despite the Regular Season split, Hokkaido has the better roster and is at Home at Es Con Field Hokkaido and should sweep the Buffaloes in two games behind stars Reyes and Itoh.

2025 Central League Climax Series Stage 1 Schedule

• Game 1—Saturday, October 11: Yomiuri at Yokohama (2:00, JST)

• Game 2—Sunday, October 12: Yomiuri at Yokohama (2:00, JST)

• Game 3—Monday, October 13: Yomiuri at Yokohama (2:00, JST)

Location: Yokohama Stadium (FieldTurf), Yokohama Park, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan (if necessary)

Central League Final Stage: Yomiuri-Yokohama winner vs Hanshin (October 15-20, 2025)

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾

2025 Pacific League Climax Series Stage 1 Schedule

• Game 1—Saturday, October 11: Orix at Hokkaido (2:00 JST)

• Game 2—Sunday, October 12: Orix at Hokkaido (2:00 JST)

• Game 3—Monday, October 13: Orix at Hokkaido (2:00 pm JST)

Location: Es Con Field Hokkaido (Artificial Turf infield, Grass outfield), Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, Kyoei, Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Japan (if necessary)

Pacific League Final Stage: Orix-Hokkaido winner vs Fukuoka (October 15-20, 2025)

2025 Japan Championship (Nippon Series) Schedule

The Central League and Pacific League Final Stage winners will eventually meet in the best-of-7 2025 Japan Series to determine a Japan Championship Series champion and a “Nippon Ichi” (No. 1 in Japan, 日本一). First pitch is Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Whoever wins four games first will become the champion, and ties are possible, so the NPB employs a 2-3-2 format. Central League winner Hanshin will have the Homefield Advantage (Games 1 and 2 and possibly 6 and 7) should the Tigers win and move on from their league.

You can find NPB tickets for both Climax Series and both Final Stage series, and for the anticipated Japan Series—the equivalent of the MLB World Series—here at TicketX.

⚾Game 1—Saturday, October 25, 2025 (at PL winners)

⚾Game 2—Sunday, October 26, 2025 (at PL winners)

⚾Game 3—Tuesday, October 28, 2025 (at CL winners)

⚾Game 4—Wednesday, October 29, 2025 (at CL winners)

⚾Game 5—Thursday, October 30, 2025 (at CL winners)

⚾Game 6—Saturday, November 1, 2025 (at PL winners)

⚾Game 7—Sunday, November 2, 2025 (at PL winners)

• if necessary

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾

Last 10 Japan Championship Series Winners

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have won six of the last 11 Japan Series representing the Pacific League, with a new champion to potentially be crowned when the 2025 Japan Series begins with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Because of Fukuoka, the Pacific League has won eight of the last 11 NPB championships, but the Central League has won three of the last four Japan Series, with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars becoming the Pacific League’s second straight Nippon Ichi.

• 2024—Yokohama DeNA BayStars (CL)

• 2023—Hanshin Tigers (CL)

• 2022—Orix Buffaloes (PL)

• 2021—Tokyo Yakult Swallows (CL)

• 2020—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2019—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2018—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2017—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

• 2016—Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (PL)

• 2015—Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL)

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾

2025 NPB Championship Series Winner Odds

Hanshin Tigers +140

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks +160

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters +600

Yokohama Bay DeNA Stars +900

Orix Buffaloes +1600

Yomiuri Giants +1600

Where to Watch the NPB Central and Pacific Climax Series

In Japan, TV viewers can watch the 2025 NPB Climax Series on the live streaming subscription service DAZN Japan, with some games available on the Nippon Television Network (NTV), Fuji TV, and Pacific League TV.

For NPB fans living outside of Japan who want to watch the two NPB Climax Series, you can use a VPN to access streaming services like team-specific YouTube channels or ABEMA-TV. You can also catch NPB highlights on the Japan Ball website.

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾

Where to Find Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Tickets

You can find NPB Climax Series Tickets, NPB tickets, and other sports tickets here at TicketX on the second-hand market with an industry-low flat fee of 20% for buyers and absolutely no commission fees for sellers.

All sales on TicketX are backed by our 100% Buyer Guarantee—meaning verified tickets that get you in without worry, and should games be postponed or rescheduled, we will issue a full refund.

After leveraging the expertise and success of TicketJam as well as its Magazine, TicketX is setting new standards and redefining expectations in resale ticket markets within the US. You can access the site on TicketX Desktop and Mobile Website or on your smartphone by downloading the TicketX Mobile App.

First-time buyers looking for Climax Series, Final Stage, 2025 Japan Series tickets, and 2026 NPB Regular Season tickets, can get 10% off7 their purchases by using this special promo code.

⚾NPB Climax Series Tickets⚾