The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters defeated the Yomiuri Giants 5-2 on October 4, 2026, at Shizuettsu Stadium Kusanagi in Shizuoka, claiming the inaugural farm league championship under the new three-league system. Nippon-Ham captured its second farm title overall and its first since 1997, when the club played in the Eastern League, as reported by npb.jp.
Shizuoka Final Stage Opens With Early Nippon-Ham Momentum
Eastern League champion Nippon-Ham advanced to the final stage after a victory over Western League winner SoftBank in the first stage. Yomiuri reached the final as the wild card—the second-place team with the highest winning percentage—after defeating DeNA 3-1 in its first-stage matchup. Nippon-Ham carried active hitting momentum into the championship game after collecting 14 hits and 7 runs the previous day, according to npb.jp and Yahoo! News.
Yomiuri starting pitcher Teppei Toki, who led the Central division with a 1.82 ERA during the regular season, ran into trouble in the top of the first inning. After escaping a bases-loaded jam, Toki yielded a first-inning run when Kazuki Miyazaki grounded out to shortstop with the bases loaded. In the third inning, Kane Edopolo hit a solo home run to left-center field, extending the lead to 2-0. Edopolo led the Eastern division with 17 home runs during the regular season.
Asama Drives the Attack as Bullpen Secures the 5-2 Victory
Nippon-Ham widened its advantage in the fourth inning when veteran outfielder Daiki Asama lined a two-run single to right field, driving home two runners to make it 4-0. Yomiuri answered in the fifth inning when relief pitcher Daiki Shimizu struggled with his control, loading the bases and allowing Yuto Nakayama to hit a two-run single to right field. Nippon-Ham answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Daigo Kamibata, restoring a three-run cushion.
Nippon-Ham farm manager Atsunori Inaba utilized a deep bullpen to protect the lead over the final four innings. Relief pitchers Towa Yokoyama and Tamon Asari pitched scoreless frames in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings before closing pitcher Hiroto Tamai retired the side in order in the ninth. Yomiuri 2nd-gun manager Takuro Ishii told Sports Hochi that his team fell short of winning its first farm title since 2016, noting that his younger players gained valuable experience from the championship stage.
Inaba Earns Fifth Toss as MVP Honors Go to Asama
Following the final out, Nippon-Ham players tossed manager Inaba into the air five times near the mound. Inaba expressed relief and pride in his squad’s determination during his post-game interview, telling reporters that his primary focus remains preparing players for the top-tier club under manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo, known as Big Boss. Asama earned the Most Valuable Player award after collecting two hits and two RBIs in the final stage, following a three-hit, one-RBI performance in the first-stage semifinal.
Toki shouldered the loss for Yomiuri after surrendering five hits and two runs over two and two-thirds innings. The newly established three-league structure divides farm teams into Eastern, Central, and Western divisions, culminating in a four-team tournament that includes the three division champions and one wild card.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Farm Championship
How many teams qualified for the 2026 farm league postseason?
Four teams qualified for the tournament under the new three-league format: the three division champions (Eastern, Central, and Western) and the wild-card entry with the highest winning percentage among second-place teams, which was the Central division runner-up Yomiuri Giants, as reported by Yahoo! News.
What were the results of the first-stage games on October 3?
Nippon-Ham defeated Western League champion SoftBank 7-6, while wild-card entrant Yomiuri defeated Central division champion DeNA 3-1 to advance to the Shizuoka final stage, according to npb.jp and Yahoo! News.
Who won the individual awards for the final tournament?
Nippon-Ham outfielder Daiki Asama won the MVP award after recording multiple hits in both rounds. Miyazaki and Yomiuri’s Yuto Nakayama received the Outstanding Player awards for their offensive contributions across the two-day tournament, as detailed by npb.jp.
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