NPB Preview 2019: Central League

The 2019 NPB season will begin at the end of this month. It's currently Open-sen (Exhibition baseball) happening now, but the games will count on March 29.

This is one of the best ways to get the baseball itch off the skin with some ideas and previews of each league. In this piece, we'll be looking at the Central League with the new information needed on each team. Predictions will be at the very bottom.

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Hiroshima Carp 

The Carp won the Central League Pennant for the third consecutive year and lost the Japan Series for the second time in three seasons. They currently have the longest drought without a Japan Series championship with their last one being in 1984.

Import additions: P Kyle Regnault, P Casey Lawrence

Notable departures: OF Yoshihiro Maru, P Jay Jackson, OF Brad Eldred

Core-Four: 2B Ryosuke Kikuchi, OF Seiya Suzuki, P Kris Johnson, P Daichi Osera

Strength: Speed, Offense

The Hiroshima Carp have led the league in Stolen Bases in the last two years and it appears that won't be changing anytime soon. While they lost Maru, the offense should be still be near the top of the league while the power numbers will likely go down. There is plenty of depth to keep the offense competitive with more opportunities for others to step in.

Question Marks: Bullpen, rotation depth

The Carp were able to get away with their offense covering their mistakes in the Central League, but the Japan Series was all but a no contest with the depth was exposed from the pitchers. For now, they're dependent on Johnson and Osera leading the way, but it's possible for others to have rebound years. Akitake Okada and Kazuki Yabuta are good candidates for that. In the bullpen, Geronimo Franzua was a solid option in middle relief, but they still need an established bridge to closer Shota Nakazaki.

Expectations: The Carp should contend for a Pennant once again, but it will be interesting to see how the offense looks without Maru. They're likely to regress, but the depth is there to still be competitive on offense. As a whole, this organization is capable of reloading with plenty of young players ready to take the next step.

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Tokyo Yakult Swallows: 

The Swallows turned around a last place season into a second place finish for 2018. With Junji Ogawa returning, their emergence began in Interleague Play and it kept them in A-class for majority of the second half. With others underachieving and the team staying healthy, everything went right for a franchise that has historically had everything go wrong.

Notable and Import additions: P Hayato Terahara, P Albert Suarez, P Scott McGough

Notable Departures: None

Core-Four: P David Buchanan, P Yasuhiro "Ryan" Ogawa, 2B Tetsuto Yamada, OF Tomotaka Sakaguchi

Strength: Veteran presence, balance

When Nori Aoki returned to the Swallows, everything went right for himself and the team. He was a huge help to their lineup for what some called a rebuilding team. The roster has plenty of aging players that know how to get it done.

Both the offense and pitching are right in the middle of the road to be competitive. With Yamada and Ogawa, they have elite talent to stay near the top. If anything, they won't fold easily.

Question mark: Injuries, repeating last year's success

The Swallows were injured in 2017 and had no chance to do anything minus Sakaguchi being their only constant. Yamada should be fine, but the rest of the team needs to stay healthy if they want an A-class year.

Expectations: The Swallows have fluctuated and never stayed constant historically besides being in the basement. Their last seasons of consecutive A-class years were from 2011-2012. Prior to that, you would have to go prior to the Climax Series era while they had their share of relevance in the 1990s.

Track record isn't in favor of this team, but they overachieved last year. They can't be completely written off based on the roster they have.

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Yomiuri Giants

The Giants had a losing season for the second consecutive year and should have finished in B-class if it weren't for their competition being just as poor. Despite all of this, they won a playoff series with their manager already being in lame duck status during the postseason. With the return of a legendary Hall of Famer in charge, people expect a rise to come again.

Notable and import additions: Manager Tatsunori Hara, P Hisashi Iwakuma, IF Hiroyuki Nakajima, C Ginjiro Sumitani, OF Yoshihiro Maru, IF Christian Villanueva, P Ryan Cook

Notable Departures: Manager Yoshinobu Takahashi, P Tetsuya Utsumi, OF Hisayoshi Chono

Core-Four: P Tomoyuki Sugano, IF Hayato Sakamoto, IF Kazuma Okamoto, OF Yoshihiro Maru

Strengths: Veteran presence, front end talent

With Sugano coming off back-to-back Sawamura awards and an emerging start in Okamoto, the Giants have plenty players who can be elite and at the top of the league. The addition of Maru is expected to complement an already solid lineup. As Hara will manage the Giants for the first time in four years, many believe he should be able to work some magic into this team given his track record.

Question marks: Uncertainty, lack of speed

The Giants signed the planet in free agency and it's unclear what kind of role each player will have. Several signings in the past like Alex Guerrero have been buried. There are plenty of past names which Japanese fans will recognize, but they all have positions that are likely filled, especially at catcher. There is no idea how everything will play out until we see ichi-gun games being played.

Expectations: With Hara back and Maru supposed to bolster the offense, many have the Giants contending for a pennant again and should be the answer for the Carp's reign. In the past, the Giants are picked off their reputation and previous history, but this time, there is a case for them to finish in first place.

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Yokohama DeNA Baystars

The Baystars finished in B-class for the first time in the Alex Ramirez era after coming off a Japan Series trip in 2017. They took a step backwards with inconsistency throughout the year and injuries to the pitching staff. Offensively, they couldn't string a run until it was too late.

Notable Additions: None

Notable losses: Joe Wieland

Core-Four: OF Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, P Shota Imanaga, OF Neftali Soto, 1B Jose Lopez

Strengths: Power, Young pitchers

The Baystars can hit the ball deep, even though the home runs numbers inflated thanks to their home ballpark. Soto had 41 last season while Tsutsugo had 38. There is always potential to change a game with a home run.

Recent track record has shown the Baystars pitching has been thanks to their first round draft picks. Imanaga, Haruhiro Hamaguchi and Katsuki Azuma look to be solid left handed starters for years to come while the latter carried them in rookie his rookie season. Look for Imanaga and/or Hamaguchi to rebound after a rough 2018.

Question marks: Offense

While Toshiro Miyazaki has been huge for the team, the rest have no been so timely with their hits. The Baystars offense was dead last in the league while leading the Central in home runs. It didn't help when Lopez was hurt, but Takayuki Kajitani also needs to be healthy. The only constant with this team is home runs, but a one-dimensional offense won't take anyone very far.

Expectations: Ramirez is on the hot seat after a rough 2018. To his credit, he didn't throw anyone under the bus through all of this and generalized it as a team problem including himself. A-class is capable if the pitching improves and the offense can put things together on a consistent basis, but any repeat of last year will see a new manager change for 2020.

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Chunichi Dragons

The Dragons came off a 5th place finish and avoided the cellar in the final weeks of the regular season. Crazy enough, they had meaningful baseball with two weeks to go, but a few glaring and obvious weaknesses held them back as they came up short of A-class for the sixth year in a row.

Notable and import additions: Manager Tsuyoshi Yoda, P Enny Romero, Head coach Tsutomu Ito

Notable departures: P Onelki Garcia, Manager

Notable retirements: Masahiro Araki, Hitoki Iwase, Takuya Asao

Core-Four: OF Ryosuke Hirata, P Shinnosuke Ogasawara, IF Shuhei Takahashi, IF Dayan Viciedo

Strengths: Hitting

The Dragons had a top offense in the Central League with imports Viciedo and Zoilo Almonte helping the cause. Hirata had a rebound season while Yohei Oshima is a constant at the top of the lineup. The power numbers aren't high, but the offense looking solid in Nagoya Dome's park makes this lineup very overlooked and underrated. In the long term, high school first round draft pick Akira Neo will be the future of this team.

Question Marks: Pitching, Manager

Yoda has very minimal coaching experience having last been with the Rakuten Eagles at the ni-gun level. The Dragons management hired "their guy" and aren't associated with Hiromitsu Ochiai, who left the team as GM a few years ago. Yoda knows the situation, but has a lot to learn.

The biggest issue is in both the Dragons bullpen and rotation, which lacks an ace and even a closer. They've been able to get good mileage for veteran Kazuki Yoshimi, but it can only take them so far. Yuya Yanagi or Ogasawara will need to step it up. It's also possible for recent draft picks Kodai Umetsu and Akiyoshi Katsuno to play immediately. This is also a year where Hiroshi Suzuki needs to take the next step.

Expectations: While A-class is a possibility, the pitching staff has too many issues coming into Opening Day. The loss of Garcia hurts, but there are options from within. The only problem is that everyone is unproven with no ace while the offense can only carry them so far. Projections show B-class is more likely once again, but anything can happen.

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Hanshin Tigers

The Hanshin Tigers came off their first last-place finish since 2001, the year prior to the late Senichi Hoshino joining them. It's a new era in Tigers history with a new manager while a few signings could turn things around sooner than later.

Notable and import additions: P Onelki Garcia, P Yuki Nishi, P Pierce Johnson, IF Jefry Marte, Manager Akihiro Yano

Departures: Manager Tomoaki Kanemoto, P Daichi Takeyasu, IF Wilin Rosario, P Marcos Mateo

Core-Four: P Randy Messenger, OF Yoshio Itoi, P Yuki Nishi, OF Kosuke Fukudome

Strengths: Front end rotation

Messenger isn't getting any younger, but he is their ace without question. With Nishi and import Garcia added to the fold, this should be a solid Big-3 as long as the latter can match what he did in 2018. Starting pitching could be even better as long as Taiki Ono continues to develop and Yuta Iwasada stays healthy.

Question marks: Manager, hitting, old core

While Yano won the farm championship for the Tigers ni-gun squad, being at the ichi-gun is another level. The Tigers can run, but will they steal as many bases as ni-gun did? Doubtful. It's unsure what his tactics are, but they're likely to be an upgrade over what Kanemoto did in holding back the team's offense.

The Tigers are going to need some younger help besides Itohara among position players. Messenger, Fukudome and Itoi are all older than 37 among the core players. Time is going to end on them eventually. Given that first round draft pick Koji Chikamoto was a shakaijin, he should be able to help right away.

Expectations: The Kansai market always has high expectations no matter what. Realistically, A-class is a huge possibility because of the Central League being mediocre and uncertain. If the hitting takes steps forward while the rotation establishes itself as one of the best, they can easily get there and turn it around from a last place season.

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Overall Predictions:

1. Yomiuri Giants: Hara's return will bring back some glory while the defending Central League champions take a step backwards with their pitching being exposed.

2. Hiroshima Carp: There is still talent on offense, but a hangover and the pitching could weigh them down.

3. Hanshin Tigers: This is my surprise team with Yano taking the Tigers in an upward direction. The rotation has a shot to do some damage while the mental mistakes should go down from last season.

4. Yokohama DeNA Baystars: The Baystars remain in mediocrity and find a way to come up short once again. This could be the end of Ramirez as well as Tsutsugo's last season in Japan.

5. Yakult Swallows: Things go wrong for the Swallows to even out what went right in 2018. Injuries pile up, pitching gets lit up while the offense is reliant on a few individuals.

6. Chunichi Dragons: Pitching staff isn't where it needs to be for A-class. It could develop as the season goes on, but they're a step behind everyone else.

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Final thoughts:

Given how close the Central League was in September, anything can happen. No team should be 100% written off despite having doubts. It's likely the Giants and Carp will be at the top, but the other four teams will be more than just jobbers and have a case for A-class. This should be a fun ride of mediocrity from beginning to end.

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