BayStars hoping history repeats in Japan Series rematch with Hawks

The BayStars' Shugo Maki homers against the Tigers during Game 2 in the final stage of the Central League Climax Series in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Oct. 15. | JIJI

Oct 23, 2026

Few people gave the Yokohama DeNA BayStars more than a fighting chance against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Japan Series two years ago. Even the BayStars’ most ardent supporters were probably running low on hope after the Hawks won the first two games in Yokohama.

The BayStars, though, never wavered in their belief and ended the series with four straight victories, each more improbable than the last, to claim their first title since 1998 in perhaps the greatest upset in Japan Series history.

Now the stage is set for a rematch, with the Hawks, the reigning champions, seeking revenge against the BayStars, who are looking to pull off the impossible again.

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