2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season is the 71st season since Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) was reorganized in 1950. There are 12 NPB teams, split evenly between the Central League and Pacific League.

This article is about the 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 2020 in baseball.
2020 NPB season
LeagueNippon Professional Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationJune 19 – November 7
Number of games120
Number of teams12

Season schedule

The 2020 season was originally scheduled to begin on 20 March, with a break from 21 July to 13 August, for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[1] On 26 February 2020, the league announced that its remaining spring training games would be held without fans in attendance, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.[2][3] With health related precautions in place, the media was allowed into some ballparks.[4] Following another league meeting on 9 March, commissioner Atsushi Saito stated that the 2020 season would be postponed until April.[5][6] Saito also said that the league aimed to retain a full regular season schedule of 143 games.[7] This announcement marked the first time since 2011 that a Nippon Professional Baseball season was delayed.[8]

On 18 April, the league announced that it would remain delayed indefinitely through the entirety of May, with the 18-game interleague schedule removed to accommodate a 125-game schedule. The delay of the 2020 Olympics meant that the three-week Olympic break would no longer be needed. Therefore, it was removed from the schedule.[9] Before the league began play, the 2020 season was shortened to 120 games, and scheduled to end on 7 November.[10][11]

With the lifting of states of emergency over major Japanese cities, NPB announced that it would begin its regular season on 19 June behind closed doors. "Warm-up" games began 26 May.[12] All twelve NPB teams played on as scheduled on 19 June.[10] On 10 July NPB began allowing a limited number of fans to attend games, with plans to further ease restrictions in the near future.[13]

Regular season standings

Through games played on 15 August 2020.

Central League regular season standings[14]
Pos Team G W L T Pct. GB
1 Yomiuri Giants 4527153.643-
2 Yokohama DeNA BayStars 4825212.5434.0
3 Hanshin Tigers 4621232.4777.0
4 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 4619225.4637.5
5 Hiroshima Toyo Carp 4619234.4528.0
6 Chunichi Dragons 4919264.4229.5
Pacific League regular season standings[15]
Pos Team G W L T Pct. GB
1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4828191.596-
2 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 4827201.5741.0
3 Chiba Lotte Marines 4826211.5532.0
4 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 4823232.5004.5
5 Saitama Seibu Lions 4619261.4228.0
6 Orix Buffaloes 4815294.34111.5

See also

References
  1. "Baseball: Fans asked to abort balloon launches over coronavirus threat". Kyodo News. February 8, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  2. "Japanese pro baseball to restrict spectators from 72 preseason games". Japan Times. Kyodo News. February 26, 2020. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020. Alt URL
  3. Woods, Amanda (February 27, 2020). "Japanese baseball fans barred from preseason games over coronavirus fears". New York Post. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  4. Coskrey, Jason (February 29, 2020). "Giants and Swallows compete without familiar sights and sounds at ballpark". Japan Times. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  5. "Japan's pro baseball league delays season start over coronavirus". Kyodo News. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  6. "Virus postpones opening of Japanese pro baseball season". Taiwan News. Associated Press. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  7. Nagatsuka, Kaz (March 9, 2020). "NPB to delay start of regular season due to ongoing COVID-19 outbreak". Japan Times. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  8. "Start of Japan Pro Baseball Regular Season to Be Delayed". Jiji Press. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  9. "Japan's baseball league delayed again, no date set for start". Associated Press. ESPN.com. April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  10. "After three-month virus delay, Japan opens its shortened baseball season". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  11. Nagatsuka, Kaz (May 25, 2020). "NPB can play ball in Japan from June 19, but minus fans". Japan Times. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  12. Tarrant, Jack (May 25, 2020). "Baseball-Japan's baseball league to start on June 19". National Post. Reuters. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  13. "お待たせ！プロ野球７・１０に６球場一斉観客解禁…上限５０００人". June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  14. "2020 Central League Standings". Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  15. "2020 Pacific League Standings". Retrieved July 21, 2020.
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