The 2025 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) postseason is set to open on Saturday, October 11. The Central League and the Pacific League qualify three teams for the Climax Series. The regular season second and third-place finishers play a best-of-three series to advance to a second stage and face the pennant winner in a best-of-seven series, where the regular season first-place team holds a one-game advantage.

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars finished second with a 71-66 record and six draws in the Central League and will host the third-place Tokyo Yomiuri Giants (70-69 and four draws) for the Central League first stage on October 11, 12, and (if necessary) 13.

The Central League winners, Hanshin Tigers (85-54 and 4 draws), will host the first-stage winner in the second stage. Game 1 is scheduled for October 15.

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters finished second in the Pacific League with an 83-57 record and three draws and will host the third-place Orix Buffaloes (74-66 and 3 draws) for the best-of-three first stage also on October 11, 12, and (if necessary) 13.

The Pacific League winners, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (87-52 and 4 draws), will host the first stage winner in the second stage. Game 1 is scheduled for October.

The Climax Series winners will compete in the best-of-seven Japan Series, scheduled to open on Saturday, October 25.

On September 30, former New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka became just the fourth Japanese pitcher to record 200 combined wins between NPB and Major League Baseball (MLB) when he recorded his third win of a complicated season at the Tokyo Dome. Tanaka, a 36-year-old former NPB and MLB All-Star, joined Yu Darvish, Hideo Nomo, and Hiroki Kuroda.

The Central League honoured two Yomiuri Giants hurlers and WBSC Premier12 stars as the league’s best relievers. Taisei Ota had the most holds, and Cuban star Raidel Martinez led the league in saves, tied at 46 with Shynya Matsuyama of the Chunichi Dragons. Another Premier12 2024 star, Hiro Saiki of the Hanshin Tigers, had the best earned run average (1.55). His teammate Shoki Murakami led the league in strikeouts (144) and wins (14).

Another Premier12 2024 star, Kaito Kozono of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, proved to be the best Central League hitter with a .309 batting average and a .365 on-base percentage. Teruaki Sato (Hanshin Tigers) was the most powerful with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs.

Cuban international baseball veteran Livan Moinelo led an impressive Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks staff, posting the best earned run average in the Pacific League (1.46) and in all of NPB. His teammate and former MLB pitcher Kohei Arihara tied with Premier12 2024 star and Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Hiromi Itoh (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters) for the most wins (14). Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Kaira Taima (Seibu Lions) tied at the top of the league with 31 saves with Fukuoka’s Kazuki Sugiyama. Another Hawk, Yuki Matsumoto, had the most holds.

The Hawks also featured the Pacific League’s best hitter, WBSC U-21 Baseball World Cup 2014 alum and World Baseball Classic winner Taisei Makihara. He had a .304 batting average. Dominican former MLB player Franmil Reyes led the league with 32 home runs and 90 RBIs. Premier12 2019 star Yukio Shuto (Fukuoka) led the league in stolen bases (35) for the third consecutive time.