2015 Nippon Professional Baseball season


The 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 66th season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950. In the Central League, the Yakult Swallows claimed the pennant and defeated the Yomiuri Giants in the final stage of the Climax Series. In the Pacific League, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the penant and defeated the Chiba Lotte Marines in the final stage of the Climax Series.

Incidents

A gambling scandal involving members of the Yomiuri Giants was reported in October. Pitchers Satoshi Fukuda, Shoki Kasahara, and Ryuya Matsumoto were found to have bet on both NBP games and Major League Baseball games, as well as high school baseball.

Regular season standings

TeamGWLTPct.GB
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks14390494.647–
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters14379622.56012.0
Chiba Lotte Marines14373691.51119.0
Saitama Seibu Lions14369695.50020.5
Orix Buffaloes14361802.43330.0
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles14357833.41033.0

Climax Series

Note: In each league's stepladder playoff system, all games in that series are held at the higher seed's home stadium. The team with the higher regular-season standing also advanced if the round ended in a tie.

First stage

The regular season league champions, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, received byes to the championship round.

Central League

Pacific League

Final stage

The regular season league champions, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, received a one-game advantage.

Central League

Pacific League

Japan Series

League leaders

Central League

StatPlayerTeamTotal
Batting averageShingo KawabataTokyo Yakult Swallows.336
Home runsTetsuto YamadaTokyo Yakult Swallows38
Runs batted inKazuhiro HatakeyamaTokyo Yakult Swallows105
RunsTetsuto YamadaTokyo Yakult Swallows119
HitsShingo KawabataTokyo Yakult Swallows195
Stolen basesTetsuto YamadaTokyo Yakult Swallows34

StatPlayerTeamTotal
WinsKenta MaedaHiroshima Carp15
LossesAtsushi NomiHanshin Tigers13
Earned run averageKris JohnsonHiroshima Carp1.85
StrikeoutsShintaro FujinamiHanshin Tigers221
Innings pitchedYudai OnoChunichi Dragons207.1
SavesTony BarnetteTokyo Yakult Swallows41
SavesOh Seung-hwanHanshin Tigers41

Pacific League

StatPlayerTeamTotal
Batting averageYuki YanagitaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks.363
Home runsTakeya NakamuraSaitama Seibu Lions37
Runs batted inTakeya NakamuraSaitama Seibu Lions124
RunsYuki YanagitaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks110
HitsShogo AkiyamaSaitama Seibu Lions216
Stolen basesTakuya NakashimaHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters34

StatPlayerTeamTotal
WinsShohei OtaniHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters15
LossesAyumu IshikawaChiba Lotte Marines12
Earned run averageShohei OtaniHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters2.24
StrikeoutsTakahiro NorimotoTohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles215
Innings pitchedTakahiro NorimotoTohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles194.2
SavesDennis SarfateFukuoka SoftBank Hawks41