2020 NPB Power Rankings: September Edition

 The 2020 NPB season passed its halfway point. With plenty of storylines ahead, it's time for another edition of power rankings of games through the month of August. 

A reminder that power rankings are not reflective of win and loss record.  

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1. [=] Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 37-23-2 (16-8-1 in August)

The defending champions retain the top spot with Yuki Yanagita having an MVP season with Yurisbel Gracial returning to the team. What's even better? Kodai Senga hasn't needed to carry the rotation with others stepping it up. This team should continue their winning ways with minimal flaws. They're also milking out Tsuyoshi Wada with a solid season from him and Shuta Ishikawa rebounding frmo 2019. Nobody has it better than the Hawks. 

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2. [^] (3) Yomiuri Giants 35-21-3 (14-10-1 in August)

The Giants have had no trouble on offense and others improving without Hayato Sakamoto needed has made a difference. Zelous Wheeler was a steal of a trade from the Rakuten Eagles while Tomoyuki Sugano is on pace for a Sawamura Award. Quietly, Shosei Togo is playing well for their rotation too. Who would have thought Hiroyuki Nakajima Only problem? Their competition is the Central League. Are these numbers all a farce against a watered down league? 

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3. [^] (7) Chiba Lotte Marines 34-26-2 (16-8-2 in August)

The Marines take a leap after a strong effort from winning. However, their pitching is a concern with several starters giving up runs. What's also deceiving in their record is how they're 12-2-1 against the Orix Buffaloes while a combined 22-24-1 against everyone else in the Pacific League. This ranking is tentative, but the breaks have gone their way up to this point. What's been key is the power from Leonys Martin and Seiya Inoue, but their run differential is currently (-14). They'll still compete for a possible 2nd place postseason spot, but the Marines have their flaws from the rotation. 

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4. [^] (8) Yokohama DeNA Baystars 31-28-3 (14-11-1 in August)

The Baystars remain inconsistent, but finished with the second best record in the Central League overall and for the month. Keita Sano has been on a tear and the starting pitching has shown they can win games. Offense as a whole is still a question mark, but right now, they're the closest answer to the Giants in the Central League race, emerging from the pack. 

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5. [v] (2) Rakuten Eagles 31-28-3 (12-12-2 in August)

A .500 month for the Eagles has shown they're human. After the first month of the year, they looked like they can hang with the Softbank Hawks with their offense, but the close games have resulted in losses more times than not. Pitching is suspect, but the main bullpen arms have shown they can close the deal. If anything, the Eagles offense shows they can't be written off in a game. 

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6. [^] (9) Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 29-30-3 (13-11-1 in August)

The Fighters take a leap and even had a day above .500 in a small surge. Drew VerHagen looks to be a solid import pitcher while Naoyuki Uwasawa's return and the emergence of Toshihiro Sugiura have carried the rotation. However, the bullpen is still a weakness. On offense, Haruki Nishikawa is playing like he wants to be posted and Sho Nakata is providing the needed power. Kensuke Kondo can still hit for average, but there are still holes in the lineup. If anything, the Fighters have overachieved up to this point for a rebuilding group and it's good in the long run that guys like Ryusei Kawano are getting reps. 

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7. [v] (5)  Hanshin Tigers 29-28-3 (13-12-1 in August)

The Tigers get a notch down in these rankings for being in the Central League compared to what the Fighters accomplished this month. Their biggest kryptonite is thee Yomiuri Giants, where they have a 2-8 record against them and were shutout for three consecutive games during a series in Tokyo Dome this month. 

Pitching is promising while the hitting has taken a large step forward with foreign imports Jerry Sands and Justin Bour continuing to be on a tear with the former being clutch. Adding to Bour and Sands is Yusuke Ohyama having at least 10 home runs, where power is something that Tiger teams of the past have lacked. 

What's drawing them back besides the Giants is their defense, where the errors pile up. There's no way this team comes in first behind some of these guys in the field. Things look bright for 2021, but they continue to be second fiddle to the Kyojin, which has been majority of the rivalry's history. 

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8. [^] (11) Chunichi Dragons 27-32-4 (13-11-2 in August)

The Dragons had a productive month moving up to fourth place in the Central League. Yudai Ono, who is currently in a contract year, continues to perform as the ace. Players are getting their feet wet and they have an intriguing amount of imports including recent Cuban addition Yariel Rodrguez. This isn't the year to win, but it could be the last rebuilding one for a team that has the longest A-class drought in NPB. Also, how about Koji Fukutani acting as a secret weapon in the rotation? 

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9. [^] (10) Hiroshima Carp 24-30-6 (12-12-2 in August)

The Carp are still finding issues with their pitching staff, but Seiya Suzuki continues to carry the squad. Manager Shinji Sasaoka is experimenting left and right with pitching decisions and even base stealing. If anything, rookie Masato Morishita looks like an ace of the future and his presence prevents the pitching staff from being unwatchable. 

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10. [v] (6) Saitama Seibu Lions 26-32-2 (9-15-1 in August)

The Lions bats continue to be poor and nothing is going right to click for wins. On some days it's the bullpen that goes wrong, others it's the offense and on other occasions, it's the starting pitcher. This team has been spot starting and bullpening their way through games while having a below average offense. Takumi Kuriyama is the only consistent hitter in the lineup, which isn't good for the core players. Reed Garrett looked invincible a month ago, but now he's struggling. They're going to need to turn things around quickly if they want any chance at the postseason. 

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11. [v] (4) Yakult Swallows 24-31-5 (7-17-1 in August)

The Swallows just snapped a five game skid to end a disastrous month. However, there was one bright spot in all of this: Yasuhiro Ogawa's no-hitter against the Baystars being one of seven wins. Munetaka Murakami will likely take the reins next year as the countdown to Tetsuto Yamada's time in the Swallows uniform dwindles. Reality hit the Swallows hard this month as the bullpen and starters aren't good enough. Did we forget to mention Ogawa is also in a contract year? 

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12. [=] Orix Buffaloes 20-38-4 (6-18-1 in August)

How low can you go? The Buffaloes hit a new BuffaLow moment when skipper Norifumi Nishimura resigned when the team went 1-11 in their last 12 games up to that point. Satoshi Nakajima was promoted from farm manager and won his first three games, but the team was hit with reality the following week when they went 1-5 combined against the Hawks and Marines.

Offensively, this team will go as far as Adam Jones and Masataka Yoshida can take them. Jones will cross the 2,000 MLB and NPB combined hit career mark this month which will receive applause and something to market. However, the offense still has holes and liabilities in the lineup and it doesn't appear to get better. 

Pitching is still solid in both the rotation and main bullpen as Tyler Higgins looks like a great pickup. Orix continues to be their own worst enemy when lacking attention to detail. Maybe Nakajima limits these issues as promoting the farm manager is the logical thing to do. 

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2020 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Nolin earns first win

 

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The Saitama Seibu Lions split a six-game week against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Rakuten Eagles. They still sit at 5th place in the Pacific League. 

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Game 1: Kona Takahashi vs. Naoyuki Uwasawa

Takahashi struggleed out of the gate, giving up three runs in the first two innings. However, he settled in to go six frames without further damage. The Lions failed to get a hit on Uwasawa until the 4th inning and had opportunities to cash in on runs, but only scored off him through a hit by pitch and wild pitch. An error by Shohei Suzuki allowed a fourth run to score for the Fighters and the bats remained cold, resulting in a 4-3 loss. 

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Game 2: Daiki Enokida vs. Toshihiro Sugiura

Enokida failed to last three innings and allowed seven runs, including a three-run HR from Christian Villanueva. Cory Spangenberg hit a three-run HR, but it was already too late. In a salvaging losing effort, Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura recorded his 1,500th career hit on an infield single. The Lions scored five runs in the 6th, but it wasn't enough in a 8-5 defeat. 

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Game 3: Keisuke Honda vs. Ryusei Kawano

Honda gave up two 2-run HRs to Taishi Ota and Sho Nakata, but the Lions came back chipping away at a 4-0 Fighters lead. This included a two-run HR from Hotaka Yamakawa. In the 5th, Takumi Kuriyama had a timely hit to give the Lions a 5-4 lead and Sena Tsuge hit his first career HR in the 6th. 

Things looked like it would be easy, but Reed Garrett gave up three runs in the top of the 8th where Po-Jung Wang, Ota and Haruki Nishikawa did the damage. The bottom of the 9th didn't feature the usual Fighters closer as Mizuki Hori was in and it gave a chance for the Lions. With the bases loaded and one out, Hotaka Yamakawa made contact with the outfield playing in, leading to the game winning sayonara hit ad a 7-6 Lions victory to salvage the lost series. 

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Game 4: Zach Neal vs. Takahiro Norimoto

This proved to be a tough pitcher's duel as both sides didn't score through four innings. Fumikazu Kimura broke the deadlock with a timely hit in the top of the 5th, but the Eagles responded in the bottom of the frame with an error by Tomoya Mori. An unearned run came in and Takero Okajima delivered for a the Eagles with his own timely hit. While the damage was limited, the Lions bats couldn't figure out Norimoto through six innings and their bullpen held on for a tight 2-1 loss. 

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Game 5: Sean Nolin vs. Takahiro Shiomi

Nolin's debut proved to be a good one, as he went six innings and didn't allow a hit until the fourth. Tsuge hit a two-run HR in the third and and Cory Spangenberg hit a two-run HR in the fourth to give Nolin a cushion. Nolin's only blemish was a two-run to Hideto Asamura and a solo HR by Stefen Romero. Kaima Taira and Reed Garrett allowed multiple base runners, but no damage as the Lions took game two against the Eagles, leading to Nolin's first career win at an ichi-gun level of baseball since 2015.

Wow 🤔 It has been a long time and a lot of hard work to get back to this point. I’m glad I’m back on track 🙏🏻 https://t.co/m7iKXQ8niO

— Sean Nolin/ショーン・ノリン (@Sean_Nolin) August 30, 2020

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Game 6: Wataru Matsumoto vs. Yuya Fukui

Both pitchers didn't allow a run through five innings while the Eagles switched to Tomohiro Anraku in the 6th. Matsumoto gave up a leadoff double to Daichi Suzuki and that's when things unraveled. After he moved to third base, a wild pitch gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Eigoro Mogi added another run on an error from Shuta Tonosaki to make it 2-0 in the 8th. The Lions had several chances botched, including a runner in scoring position with Yuji Kaneko up in two different situations. They resulted in two weak flyouts to end any shot at scoring. 

However, the game was't over yet. With Alan Busenitz pitching, Yamakawa walked and Mori singled with two outs and the latter had two strikes. Ernesto Mejia had two strikes, but took a ball deep and it barely cleared the LF fence for a three-run home run. This proved to be the game winner as the Lions took the game and series.  

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A .500 week isn't the end of the world. At least it ended on a high note and credit to Ryosuke Moriwaki where it's due mostly pitching well until the last game this week. Reed Garrett has the bigger concerns, struggling to miss bats and has to rely on putting the ball in play. It's unlikely this week will turn around the season as the halfway point is here, but there was progress. 

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2020 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Season all but over with Orix split

 

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The Saitama Seibu Lions remain in 5th place after a 3-3 split with the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka. In a week that featured a managerial change, it ended on a sour note. 

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Game 1: Kona Takahashi vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

This game proved to be a strong pitcher's duel between both sides. Takahashi and Yamamoto both went seven innings and allowed one run with the latter having his unearned. Kona Takahashi had to strand several runners, but it was his best outing of 2020 with seven strikeouts and only one walk. 

With a critical chance in the top of the 8th, the Lions cashed in when Ernesto Mejia had a timely hit to plate two runs. It didn't come without drama as Reed Garrett had the tying run on second base. However, he struck out Takahiro Okada to escape and the Lions took the first game of the series with a 3-1 win. 

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Game 2: Daiki Enokida vs. Daiki Tajima

Enokida lasted five innings where his only blemish was a two-run HR to Takahiro Okada. Yuji Kaneko had a timely hit in the second inning and Fumikazu Kimura tied it with a solo HR of his own. Both sides struggled at stranding runners on offense with Tajima going six innings. 

The Lions stranded the bases loaded when Tyler Higgins struck out Cory Spangenberg in the 8th. Garrett also left a runner on third base after a throwing error when he forced a groundout. 

Drama came in the top of the 9th, when Tonosaki was up and Yuji Kaneko was on third thanks to reaching base on an error from Yuma Mune. Tonosaki dropped a hit just short of outfielder Kodai Sano and the ball went all the way to the wall, counting as an inside the park home run. The extra proved to be important when Tatsushi Masuda allowed a run in the bottom of the 9th, but he got Mune to strikeout and secure a fourth straight win by a score of 4-3.  

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Game 3: Katsunori Hirai vs. Kazumasa Yoshida

The Lions went with an unconventional starter with Hirai and he delivered throwing five shutout innings.Offensively, they were able to cash in on hits with a timely from Tomoya Mori and Kimura. Hotaka Yamakawa broke it open with a bases-loaded single in the fourth inning. 

Tatsuya Imai created a scare in the 6th inning by walking three consecutive batters while Shogo Noda walked in a run. However, Tetsu Miyagawa prevented further damage as the Lions were forced to use their back end relievers on another straight day as they hung on 6-4. 

This game become notable because Orix manager Norifumi Nishimura stepped down immediately from his position after the game. They promoted farm manager Satoshi Nakajima to the ichi-gun role to takee over.  

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Game 4: Zach Neal vs. Sachiya Yamasaki

The Lions couldn't solve Yamasaki, who only allowed one hit on a HR by Hotaka Yamakawa in the 4th inning. He would go seven frames in a no-decision. Neal stranded runners, but everything caught up to him in the 7th when Adam Jones hit a leadoff HR. In the 8th, Orix went ahead when Miyagawa allowed a bases-loaded single with inherited runners to Jones, breaking the tie as the Buffaloes won 3-1. 

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Game 5: Tetsuya Utsumi vs. Yaku Cho

Adam Jones hit two HRs where Utsumi made his Lions debut after waiting nearly two years. Orix outpitched the Lions in this one where Cho escaped two jams in the 3rd and 4th innings. It was another game where the Lions offense was lackluster in a 5-2 defeat. Takeya Nakamura hit a HR as a cosolation in a losing effort. 

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Game 6: Wataru Matsumoto vs. Andrew Albers

The Lions had a 3-1 lead, but Tetsu Miyagawa couldn't hold on in the second half of the game. In the 8th inning with the score tied 3-3, Adam Jones hit another HR to break it open as the Buffaloes scored three more runs. The Lions tried to make it close, but came up short in the top of the 9th with a 6-5 loss, their third straight. 

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There's no hiding it, cancel any ideas of postseason for this Lions squad. What's second place? What's first place? The Lions aren't hitting and it showed this series against Orix, where they could've easily lost it rather than tied. Pitching has been average, but it's been a rough three weeks for Reed Garrett, who will have to adjust and go back to the drawing board as it feels like the league has studied him. 

Otherwise, it's a developmental year for the rest of the squad, whether it's Kaima Taira, Shohei Suzuki, Wataru Takagi and more. This isn't pretty, but it's not boring at least. 

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Report: Aiuchi and Sato banned indefinitely for violating rules

 

Saitama Seibu Lions players P Makoto Aiuchi and IF Ryusei Sato were banned from playing games indefinitely for violating team COVID-19 rules on Thursday afternoon. \

On April 12, Sato and Aiuchi were playing golf in Chiba prefecture, breaking the team policies regarding the possible spread of Coronavirus. Sato was the driver and broke the law by speeding. Earlier this week, both Sato and Aiuchi confirmed the details of this violation with the team. Besides the suspension from games, each player cannot wear the team uniform.  

This is the first time a Lions player has been suspended since Tatsuya Imai was caught smoking underage at a pachinko arcade in 2018. 

Aiuchi, 26, was a second round draft pick of the Lions in 2012 out of high school. At the ichi-gun level, he has mostly been a spot starter and mop up pitcher in a limited role. In 21 games over the course of five played seasons, he has a career ERA of 10.05 in 43 innings. Previously, he was suspended for smoking underage and speeding without a license.  

He released the following statement: 

"I apologize for the inconvenience caused to many people who regularly support [the Lions]. I deeply regret it. Not only about the speeding this time and the rules of the team, I should be an example [as an older player]. I am keenly aware of my responsibility as a shakaijin and will continue to act so that I will not make the same mistakes in the future."

Sato, 23, was a 7th round draft pick by the Lions in 2018. He was the only rookie to make the opening day roster in 2019 and saw several games as a reserve third baseman. In 2020, he has yet to appear in an ichi-gun game. He released the following statement: 

"I did think about my position, and I think that my own [naive decision] has caused such a situation. I deeply regret it. In the future, I will take all possible precautions to ensure that this will never happen again and will adhere to the rules of working as a shakaijin and act responsibly. I am very sorry this time."

Lions executive director Mitsuo Iida had the following statement on the self-imposed ban:

I would like to sincerely apologize to all the fans and related parties, including Ryusi Sato and Makoto Aiuchi, who are supporting this team. Our team took this situation very seriously, instructed the two athletes strictly and also took a strict disposal. Going forward, we will reinforce compliance and strengthen education to ensure that we do not disappoint our fans.

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2020 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Struggles, debuts and firsts

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The Saitama Seibu Lions went 2-3-1 against the Rakuten Eagles for their home series. They now sit in 5th place of the Pacific League as a result.  

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Game 1: Kona Takahashi vs. Hayato Yuge

Takahashi couldn't retire a side with two outs, leading to some back-breaking runs. Ryosuke Tatsumi hit a two-run HR and Hiroto Kobukata had three RBIs to down the Lions. At one point, the Lions had a lead thanks to two 2-run HRs from Takumi Kuriyama and Ernesto Mejia. Kobukata had to score a timely off Kaima Taira with inherited runners to put the Eagles up for good. Mejia added a second HR, but it was too late as the Lions lost 7-5. 

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Game 2: Sho Ito vs. Hideaki Wakui

The former Lion Wakui continued his strong form, getting double plays off the Lions whenever the bats looked like a threat. Hikaru Ota hit a two-run HR off Ito in the fourth and Hiroaki Shimauchi put the game away in the 7th having 3 RBIs off Hiromasa Saito\. Tomoya Mori and Mejia had back-to-back solo HRs in a losing effort. Wakui earned his 7th win of the season going 6.2 innings and five strikeouts. 

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Game 3: Kaito Yoza vs. Yuki Matsui

Both starting pitchers wouldn't last more than five innings. Yoza was yanked in thee third, where the Eagles scored three runs off a combination with Katsunori Hirai coming in relief.  Tatsumi hit a solo HR while Hideto Asamura and Eigoro Mogi did damage with two RBIs each. The game looked like it could be close when the Lions pulled within one run, but the Eagles pulled away off the Lions bullpen when Shogo Noda allowed an inherited runner to score and Kaima Taira gave up two more runs. Wataru Takagi had two hits, including an RBI triple for his first career RBI and hits in NPB while in a losing effort as the Eagles won 7-4. 

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Game 4: Zach Neal vs. Takahiro Norimoto

Both starters wouldn't last beyond three innings, giving up six runs a piece. With this high scoring affair,the Lions erupted for six runs in the fifth inning with multiple timely hits in a row. Wataru Takagi, playing in his 5th career ichi-gun game, earned his first modasho and the Lions bullpen minimized the damage to break a seven-game losing streak.  

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Game 5: Wataru Matsumoto vs. Takahiro Shiomi 

Matsumoto had seven shutout innings in what looked like an easy win. The Lions scored three runs in the first with help from a two-run HR from Ernesto Mejia. However, they continued to strand runners throughout the rest of the game and it came back to bite. Reed Garrett gave up two runs to make it a 3-2 game. Tatsushi Masuda also ran into trouble with the tying run on third base. With two outs, Ryosuke Tatsumi got the base hit to tie it at 3-3. Kaima Taira escaped a jam in the top of the 10th to secure a draw while Lions bats remained gone the rest of the night in this stalemate. 

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Game 6: Keisuke Honda vs. Yuya Fukui

Takumi Kuriyama hit a three-run home run and the Lions had no issue in this one. Hotaka Yamakawa had a home run while younger Lions got to contribute later. From Spangenberg's timely hits from Sena Tsuge and Manaya Nishikawa recording their first professional base hits as the latter was making his debut. Honda was able to earn his first win with five strong innings in an 11-1 rout. 

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Not ideal, but not the worst. Unfortunately it feels like this season is a lost cause, but the young players are contributing. Kuriyama looks good and hopefully Mori can get better, but the pitching isn't there. 

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2020 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Struggling in Sapporo

 

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The Saitama Seibu Lions had a nightmare week in Sapporo, going 1-5 against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. They sit in 5th place in the Pacific League only ahead of the Orix Buffaloes. Here is how it happened: 

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Game 1: Kona Takahashi vs. Naoyuki Uwasawa

The Lions could not stop Taishi Ota in this game as he had six RBIs, including two home runs and a crucial one of Takahashi to pull away. Takumi Kuriyama had a home run in the second, but the offense was dead while the pitching wasn't there in an 11-4 laugher. 

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Game 2: Sho Ito vs. Nick Martinez

Ito went 4.1 innings while being on a strict pitch count giving up only one run. While Martinez looked dominant through four innings, the third time through the order penalty struck on him in the 6th inning with a flurry of hits, with two 2-run HRs from Cory Spangenberg and Hotaka Yamakawa. These home runs proved to be enough as the Lions tacked on two more insurance runs for a 7-2 win. 

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Game 3: Kaito Yoza vs. Ryusei Kawano

Yoza gave up three runs in the first inning, including a timely hit from Sho Nakata which was enough for the Fighters to win it,. While the Lions had their chances, Takumi Kuriyama flew out with the bases loaded off Kawano to close the door in the fourth inning. Ernesto Mejia also had runners on base in the 8th off Naoki Miyanishi, but struck out when trailing by 2. The Lions losing trend continued with this 5-3 loss. 

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Game 4: Zach Neal vs. Toshihiro Sugiura

Kensuke Kondo had a modasho with a solo HR and a two-run double of Neal for the entire Fighters offense. The Lions bats couldn't solve Sugiura while Ernesto Mejia struck out in the 7th inning having to runners on. They scored two runs in the 9th, but Spangenberg came up short against Ryo Akiyoshi with two runners on base by striking out for a 3-2 loss. 

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Game 5: Wataru Matsumoto vs. Kohei Arihara

To put it shortly, this could be the most backbreaking loss of the season. The Lions scored six runs off Arihara including a HR from Yamakawa and timely hit from Kuriyama. However, things went south in the bottom of the 7th when Katsunori Hirai came in and walked a batter, giving up a gapper in the process. With Shohei Suzuki and Seiji Kawagoe unable to make plays on the ball, the Fighters were able to score five unanswered runs off Hirai, Tetsu Miyagawa and Reed Garrett for that frame, where the go-ahead run was a base hit by Ryo Watanabe. 

Worse yet, the Lions stranded the bases in the top of the 8th after Mejia walked. Sosuke Genda struck out while Shuta Tonosaki fouled out on two pitches. This would mark a series loss, their fourth of the week for a 7-6 defeat. 

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Game 6: Keisuke Honda vs. Drew VerHagen

VerHagen pitched a 7-inning gem and the Lions bats struggled again with 10 strikeouts. Honda went 5.2 innings, giving up timely hits to Sho Nakata and Taishi Ota as his blemishes. The only scoring by the Lions came in the first inning from a HR by Shuta Tonosaki. It would be the Lions fourth straight loss and third in a row by one run in a 2-1 defeat. 

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This becomes one of the most discouraging weeks for the 2020 season. Suddenly the Lions are on the outside and their season is in jeopardy if they don't do anything against the Rakuten Eagles. We're 1/3 of the way through, but they can't afford to dig a hole as they're currently five games under .500. 

Their other insult? Katsunori Hirai not being up to form. Hatsuhiko Tsuji is also stubborn to stick relievers in for one inning each, rather than thinking outside the box on possibly using Kaima Taira for two frames after he threw only six pitches for one. There is still time to get better, but it's not encouraging when veteran Takumi Kuriyama is leading the team on offense while Tomoya Mori is batting 7th and being called to bunt due to this offensive production. 

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2020 NPB Power Rankings: August Edition

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The 2020 NPB Season is more than a month in, passing the quarter mark with fans returning in July. While lots of action has happened, several teams have taken some leaps and others fell. Here are the power rankings through the month of July.

As a reminder, power rankings are not truly based on win and loss record, that's what standings are for. Records are reflecting of games played through August 2.

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1. [=] Fukuoka Softbank Hawks (22-15-1)

/The Hawks retain the top spot after a slow beginning. Best thing? They did it with Kodai Senga not playing the first week and without Yurisbel Gracial and Alfredo Despaigne as they started the year stuck in Cuba. Both players will be back when ready as they were cleared weeks ago. Other players like Ryoya Kurihara are getting valuable playing time for the long run. Expect the defending champions to only get better.

Their only question is now COVID-19 related, as a Yuya Hasegawa (who was on the farm since early July) tested positive and forced the entire team to be tested. After some results, only one ichi-gun staff member had it and it's uncertain who will allow games or not.

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2. [^] (4) Rakuten Eagles (20-17-1) 

The Eagles offense is the best in the league with the help of Hideto Asamura. Offensively, everything has gone right for them with Eigoro Mogi looking solid while new addition Daichi Suzuki and Stefen Romero both being huge. Pitching is decent, but for now, no one is stopping their offense.

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3. [=] Yomiuri Giants (22-12-2)

The Giants appear like they can go on cruise control to the Central League. Tomoyuki Sugano will likely win the CL Pitcher of the month award with a great performance. More amazing? Hayato Sakamoto isn't tearing it up, but the Kyojin don't need him to be with others like Kazuma Okamoto and recent addition Zelous Wheeler doing well.

Statistically, they're the best offense and defensive team in the league, but the numbers feel inflated due to the Central being watered down. They cannot be first based on their competition.

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4. [^] (12) Yakult Swallows (17-15-5) 

The Swallows have overachieved up to this point as they're competitive. A big reason for this beyond the usual suspects? Munetaka Murakami and Kotaro Yamasaki are producing on offense. Albert Suarez has been walking hitters and his ERA isn't as reflective of how performance, but the starting pitching is average as a whole. The downfall will be their bullpen as this run doesn't look sustainable for a 120 game season.

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5. [=] Hanshin Tigers (17-17-2) 

To the Tigers credit, they came off an ugly start only to get back to being above .500 at one point. Their winning is reflective of Justin Bour and Jerry Sands up to this point, as both guys didn't do much in the beginning, but have torn it up recently. Starting pitching appears to be solid too, but the bullpen has its question marks as Kyuji Fujikawa even spent time away from the ichi-gun.

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6. [v] (2) Saitama Seibu Lions (17-18-1) 

The Lions aren't flashy by any means, but they're also right in the middle when they're not playing the Softbank Hawks. Offense is flawed and starting pitching has issues, but the bullpen becomes a large strength with Kaima Taira, Reed Garrett and Tatsushi Masuda taking the high leverage innings. Even with the offensive struggles, there's talent to get better through the 1/4 mark.

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7. [^] (8) Chiba Lotte Marines (19-19) 

The Marines had a red hot start at beginning 8-1, however, they've been 11-18 since pulling off a 6-game sweep of Orix. Atsuki Taneichi looks to be the ace of the future, but the veterans Ayumu Ishikawa and Minabu Mima haven't helped as much as they could. This is also a partial transition year with the Marines hoping Hisanori Yasuda emerges as he gets several starts.

They're going to need to play well without Takashi Ogino, who recently injured himself again.While historically injury prone, the Marines were spoiled the last two seasons when he showed his value and he only missed half of  2018 when being hit by a pitch, a freak accident.

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8. [v] (6) Yokohama DeNA Baystars (18-18-2) 

Who is this team? An inconsistent one. For several weeks, they had the continuous results of a win followed by a loss, followed by another win. With the continuous .500 ball, they followed it up with a six-game losing streak only to claw back to .500 again with series wins over the Carp and Giants. Manager Alex Ramirez gets the foreign treatment of unfair heat by the media, but he shouldn't be going anywhere, at least not in the short term.

Import signing Tyler Austin looked good until he was hurt while Takayuki Kajitani was hitting again like years of old. Keita Sano and Toshiro Miyazaki are also doing well, but it's the fall of Jose Lopez that stands out offensively. Their biggest downfall to this point is Yasuaki Yamasaki having trouble closing games, possibly not being his year. If anything, the Baystars are getting a steal out of Kentaro Taira, who was once a compensation selection for the loss of Shun Yamaguchi.

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9. [^] (11) Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (17-19-2)

The Fighters have competed after looking like they would lie down, even without Kohei Arihara producing as much as they need. For a rebuilding team, they have to like what they're getting out of Toshihiro Sugiura. Unfortunately, Po-Jung Wang has not lived up to the hype after coming from Taiwan and the offense is still below average as a whole.

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10. [v] (7) Hiroshima Carp (13-19-4)

The Carp are currently in last place in the Central League off percentage points, but the offense is a sign of hope. Who would have thought Shota Dobayashi would be teh batting champion leader up to this point? Otherwise, Seiya Suzuki and the others continue to be a threat when it comes to the bats. Pitching is the painful part, as Kris Johnson was taken off the ichi-gun roster and it's up to Daichi Osera to carry the load. It didn't help that Yusuke Nomura was hurt, but they have to like what they're getting out of rookie Masato Morishita.

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11. [v] (9) Chunichi Dragons (15-21-3)

The Dragons have looked like a last place team through the first month. In short, they lack an ace. However, they haven't been dull with Akira Neo's recent callup and even fifth round high school rookie Yuki Okabayashi as well as Takaya Ishikawa getting playing time. The youth movement is in, but the pitching is forgettable. Right now, Hiroshi Suzuki is on pace to be a bust and the bullpen isn't reliable.

One thing they're likely to win is the trade with Orix last season as Takahiro Matsuba has regained form. If he can stay in the rotation all season, they got a steal.

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12. [v] (10) Orix Buffaloes (14-21-3)

The Buffaloes are sometimes called Buffa-Lows when things go bad. In this case, they've been their own worst enemy when they lost a six-game series to the Chiba Lotte Marines with most of the defeats being decided late. While they've competed in some series against the Rakuten Eagles and Lions, they cancel it all out in the following week and haven't shown they can take the next step if they have momentum.

Starting pitching has lived up to their expectations, but the offense is still a weakness minus Masataka Yoshida. While Kenya Wakatsuki has played well, Adam Jones hasn't made the impact the Buffaloes have hoped for. Will this team continue to go one step forward followed by two steps back? If they limit the mistakes, the pitching has shown they can compete.

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2020 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Neal's streak ends, COVID-19 shortens series

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The Saitama Seibu Lions went 1-4 against the Softbank Hawks in Fukuoka. They currently have ea losing record at 17-18-1 and sit in fourth place in the Pacific League as a result of these games. Here is how it all happened:

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Game 1: Tatsuya Imai vs. Kodai Senga

The Lions had an early 4-1 lead, scoring off Senga. However, this didn't last long when Imai conceded three runs and the game was tied in the 5th, forcing him to leave early. As a team, they couldn't stop Akira Nakamura, who had four hits and five RBIs, with the game-winning hit being a bases-clearing double off Katsunori Hirai. The Hawks eventually pulled away to defeat the Lions 9-4.

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Game 2: Wataru Matsumoto vs. Tsuyoshi Wada

Wada struck out nine batters over 6+ innings in a game where the Hawks scored early. Matsumoto gave up early base hits, including a triple to Kenta Imamiya and three consecutive singles with two outs. Fumikazu Kimura hit a HR in the fifth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Hawks bullpen shut the offense down and the Lions lost 4-2.

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Game 3: Kaito Yoza vs. Yugo Bando

The Lions jumped on Bando early with two HRs from Tomoya Mori and a solo HR from Cory Spangenberg. With his back against the wall, Spangenberg was a single away from getting a cycle. Yoza successfully went five innings and Lions bullpen helped contribute to a 6-0 shutout victory.

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Game 4: Zach Neal vs. Nao Higashihama

The Lions scored early with HRs from Hotaka Yamakawa and Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura for a 3-0 lead, but Neal couldn't keep it in the bottom of the 3rd when allowing four runs, including a flurry of base hits in that frame. Spangenberg tied the game in the 6th with a solo HR, but Neal failed to get a shutdown inning as Kenji Akashi hit a solo HR of his own. This run proved to be the difference as the Hawks winning 5-4 ended Neal's win streak of 13 consecutive decisions.

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Game 5: Keisuke Honda vs. Shuta Ishikawa

Ishikawa struck out 13 batters and threw a one-hitter, shutting out the Lions in dominant fashion. Ryoya Kurihara hit a three-run HR in the first inning off Honda for all thee offense Softbank needed. It would be Honda's third loss of the season, being defeated 4-0.

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Game 6: Kona Takahashi vs. Akiro Niho

While this game was scheduled for Sunday, it was called off shortly after the Hawks 4-0 win on Saturday. Veteran Yuya Hasegawa, who has been on the farm since early July, tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the Hawks players who've been in contact to take PCR Tests. Earlier in the week, a non-playing Hawks employee also tested positive, but play went on as this person didn't have close contact with players. 

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Not the ideal week for the Lions, but it's almost expected to see everything go wrong at once. From being destroyed by Ishikawa to the pitching having trouble holding a lead, nothing is surprising when the team goes to Fukuoka.

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