NPB Home Run Derby Participants
3/4 of the Pacific League hail from Nippon-Ham. Plus: the Plus One Vote - the final two All-Stars are announced
We finally know who will be swinging for the fences in this year’s Home Run Derby. Fans voted for four players from each league, choosing from among players already named All-Stars who had either hit at least seven home runs by July 6 or hit at least 15 home runs in 2024.
Central League
Teruaki Sato (Hanshin)
Sato currently leads the Central League and all of NPB with 24 home runs; he’s also the league leader in RBIs with 62. He holds the NPB record for the most home runs (24) by a rookie left-handed batter and is the first in NPB history as a left-handed hitter to hit 20 or more home runs for three consecutive seasons starting from his rookie year.
He’s already matched his career high and is the favorite for the MVP right now. Sato is my pick to win the derby.
Shugo Maki (Yokohama)
The star and captain of the defending champion BayStars, Maki led the league in hits and RBIs in 2023. He was also the MVP of Game 1 of the 2024 All-Star game. He currently has 15 home runs (3rd in the CL), and has hit at least 20 every year since turning pro.
Shota Morishita (Hanshin)
A first-time All-Star, Morishita was the 2023 Japan Series MVP*, helping Hanshin break their long-standing curse. He set a rookie record with 7 RBIs in the Series. With 16 home runs this season (2nd in the CL), he’s already matched his career high from last year.
*Actually, one of two runners-up to Koji Chikamoto. Thank you for pointing that out to me!
Seiji Uebayashi (Chunichi)
Uebayashi has had a weird career. He mashed 22 homers for SoftBank in 2018 but bounced between the first team and the farm ever since. After signing with Chunichi in 2024, he hit just 1 home run and slashed .191/.248/.255 in 46 games.
He currently has 11 home runs, good for 4th in the Central League. What a bounce-back year for him.
Pacific League
Chusei Mannami (Nippon-Ham)
Mannami, whose mom is Japanese and dad is Congolese, is known for his laser beam arm in the outfield; he’s won two consecutive Golden Glove awards. He’s also got legit power—his career high for home runs is 24 set in 2023. He’s currently tied for second in the PL with 14.
Franmil Reyes (Nippon-Ham)
The Franimal currently leads the PL with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs. He finished 2nd in the PL with 25 in 2024 and set a Fighters franchise record with a 25-game hitting streak. He has a good shot at the MVP award this year, though his DH-only status might hurt him.
Kotaro Kiyomiya (Nippon-Ham)
The third Fighter in the derby, Kiyomiya currently only has 7 home runs, tied for 11th in the league. He hit 15 last year, and his career high is 18, set in 2022.
Kiyomiya hit a walk-off homer to win MVP honors in Game 1 of the 2022 All-Star Series.
Yuma Tongu (Orix)
Tongu, the Buffaloes team captain, is currently tied for 7th in the PL with 8 home runs. His career high is 16 set in 2023, the year he led the Pacific League in batting average.
Because there are two All-Star games played in the NPB, the derby will take place over two days. The winner of Day 1 will face off against the winner of Day 2. Last year SoftBank’s Kensuke Kondoh triumphed over teammate Hotaka Yamakawa.
Plus One Winners
The final two All-Stars as selected by the fans were also announced. In the Central League, Takumu Nakano ran away with the vote, finishing with 25,806 more votes than teammate Jon Duplantier. In the Pacific League, Lotte’s Yamamoto Daito edged out Fighters ace Hiromi Itoh by a mere 6 votes.
Takumu Nakano (Hanshin)
Nakano will make his fifth straight All-Star appearance. Last year, he played in every game for the second season in a row but struggled at the plate. This season, he’s bounced back, slashing .297/.368/.341. Nakano led the CL in steals in 2021 and hits in 2023.
Daito Yamamoto (Lotte)
Yamamoto, nicknamed Dynamite, is still considered a rookie despite playing in parts of four seasons. He led the Eastern League (one of the two minor leagues in NPB) with home runs and RBIs in 2024. Though he has 10 home runs this year, he’s batting just .219/.264/.390. Still, he’s a fan favorite, and in a rough season for Lotte, his All-Star nod gives the Marines faithful something to cheer about.
The 2025 NPB All-Star Series takes place July 23–24. The Pacific League leads the all-time series 92–82, with 11 ties.
Excellent write-up. But Morishita wasn't 2023 Japan Series MVP - that honor went to Koji Chikamoto. Morishita won one of two "outstanding player" awards given to runners-up, though.
This will be hard! Who do I cheer for? 😊