When the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters finished in second place in 2024, it was somewhat of a surprise. When it happened again last season, the Fighters were not upstarts, but legitimate pennant contenders.
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The Fighters won the Pacific League title and the Japan Series in 2006 and pulled off the double again in 2016. Now, 10 years after that most recent triumph, the team is looking to do it again.