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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-08-2025, 06:32 AM

Five of the six playoff teams from 2029 in the Japan League made it back in 2030. Nagoya swapped spots with Kobe in the Central Division with both teams fighting for the top seed. The Nightowls finished 106-56 for their third straight playoff berth, while the Blaze had to settle for a wild card at 103-59. Kobe’s playoff streak grew to eight seasons. Nagoya led the JL with 784 runs scored. The Blaze pitching staff had 1808 strikeouts and a 11.05 K/9, both of which were the second-best in East Asia Baseball history.

Reigning EAB champ Niigata was also in the hunt for the top seed at 103-59, dominating the North Division. The Green Dragons’ playoff streak grew to four years. Kitakyushu was the one new playoff team for 2030, edging out Hiroshima by two games for the West Division title. The Kodiaks finished 94-68 and allowed the fewest runs at 489. It was a remarkable turnaround for Kitakyushu, who hadn’t seen a winning season in a decade.

At 92-70, the Hammerheads got the second wild card to grow their playoff streak to five. Kyoto was the closest foe at 90-72, missing the cut after winning 101 games the prior year. The weakest division champ was Tokyo at 92-70, repeating atop the Capital Division. Chiba was second place at 85-77. Also worth a mention was Sapporo at 76-86, their first losing season since 2017.

Hiroshima 1B Hyung-Gwang Sohn won his second Japan League MVP, having previously earned it in 2027. The 28-year old lefty led in home runs (49), RBI (136), total bases (362), OBP (.415), slugging (.643), OPS (1.058), wRC+ (220), and WAR (9.8). Sohn added 182 hits, 110 runs, and a .323 average. Sohn would sign a historic eight-year, $391,500,000 extension with the Hammerheads in August 2031; the richest deal in baseball history to that point.

Pitcher of the Year was Kitakyushu’s Hyuuma Miyata in his third season. He bounced back after missing most of 2029 to a torn rotator cuff. The 24-year old righty led in ERA (1.52), WHIP (0.79), and quality starts (29). Miyata’s ERA was the 25^th-best qualifying ERA in EAB history. He struck out 251 over 242 innings with a 16-7 record, 218 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR.

In the wild card round, Tokyo swept Kobe 3-0 and Kitakyushu held off Hiroshima 3-1. Nagoya clobbered the Tides 3-0 in the divisional round, while Niigata survived 3-2 against the Kodiaks. The defending champ Green Dragons earned their fourth straight trip to the Japan League Championship Series. The Nightowls had played spoiler to a 110-win Niigata in 2028 in the JLCS, preventing a repeat bid.

This time, Nagoya had home field advantage and again would prevent the Green Dragons from repeat pennants. The JLCS went seven games for the first time since 2025 with the Nightowls prevailing, becoming ten-time Japan League champs (1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1948, 1964, 1979, 2009, 2028, 2030).

The realigned Korea League ended up with a loaded North Division. Goyang and Pyongyang had a fierce battle for the top seed which the Green Sox claimed with a franchise-best 112-50. The Pythons were a close second at 109-53, but had to settle for the first wild card. Pyongyang ended a 13-year playoff drought, while Goyang won a fourth straight division title. The Green Sox led EAB in scoring with 893 runs, while the Pythons allowed the fewest in the KL at 532.

The #2 seed went to defending Korea League champ Busan at 101-61 atop the Southeast Division. The Blue Jays won a seventh straight division title and grew their EAB-record playoff streak to 11 years. For the eighth time in that streak, Busan won 100+ games. Suwon won the Central Division at 95-67, topping Incheon (89-73) by six. The Snappers earned repeat playoff trips, although it was their first division title since 2021.

Seoul also advanced out of the North Division as the second wild card at 92-70. The Seahawks were one better than Ulsan (91-71) and three ahead of Incheon (89-73). Seoul ended their own playoff drought at 11 years. The Inferno had their playoff streak end at four seasons. Yongin, a wild card last year, notably struggled to 68-94. The weakest division champ was Jeonju at 87-75, the only team above .500 in the Southwest Division. The Jethawks snapped an eight-year playoff drought, earning their first division title since the 1980s.

Daejeon continued to struggle at 70-92, growing their playoff drought to 42 seasons. Despite that, they had the Korea League MVP Hyeon-Jun Kim. The 25-year old 3B led in slugging (.700), OPS (1.101), wRC+ (189), and WAR (10.9). Kim added 202 hits, 113 runs, 58 home runs, 136 RBI, and a .340 average.

The struggling Ducks wouldn’t be able to keep Kim beyond 2031, as he’d sign an eight-year, $324 million deal with expansion Jeju. He held off Hamhung’s Toichi Kumura for MVP despite the latter’s 64 home runs and 162 RBI. It was only the fifth time in EAB history that a player had 160+ RBI.

Pitcher of the Year went to Goyang’s Oniji Yamamoto, winning his second ERA title. The 25-year old lefty had a 1.58 ERA and led in K/BB (13.0), quality starts (27), FIP- (51), and WAR (9.7). Yamamoto had a 21-3 record over 238.2 innings with 299 strikeouts and 246 ERA+. He missed the Triple Crown by one win and 12 strikeouts.

Jeonju upset Pyongyang 3-1 in the wild card round and Suwon topped Seoul 3-1. Top seed Goyang ousted the Jethawks 3-1 in the divisional series, earning a shot at their second pennant in three years. Meanwhile, the Snappers stunned Busan 3-1 to earn back-to-back trips to the Korea League Championship Series. The Green Sox rolled to a 4-1 KLCS win over Suwon to become six-time KL champs (1991, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2028, 2030).

For the first time since 2009, the East Asian Championship featured the top seed from both leagues. It was also a rematch of the 2028 finale, which Goyang won 4-2 over Nagoya. The Nightowls got revenge 4-1 over the Green Sox to claim the 110^th EAB title. Nagoya became six-time EAB champs (1930, 1934, 1940, 1964, 2009, 2030).

Mitsuo Wada had a huge postseason, winning MVP of the EAB Championship, JLCS, and divisional series. The 26-year old 3B joined Nagoya as a free agent in 2030 after starting with Jeonju. In 15 playoff starts, Wada had 23 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, 6 RBI, 1.071 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. Nightowls closer Kenji Yoshii also tied the EAB playoff record of eight saves. He posted a 1.04 ERA over 17.1 innings with 20 strikeouts.

Other notes: The 43^rd Perfect Game in EAB was thrown by Pyongyang’s Yasuo Nakajima, fanning 11 against Daejeon on July 7. Tokyo’s Toshio Takahashi threw 16 scoreless playoff innings over two starts, becoming the 10^th in EAB playoff history with a zero ERA over 15+ innings. Seongnam’s Tae-Yang Chai had a four home run game on May 30against Hamhung, the 15^th such game in EAB history. He was the first to do it with only solo homers.

Nobuyoshi Yamauchi became the 2^nd pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts. He finished the year at 5049, still a good distance from Sang-Hun Joon’s top mark of 5694. As of 2037, Yamauchi is one of only 44 pitchers in all of pro baseball history with 5000+ Ks.

Kunihiko Ishiguro became the 6^th member of the 800 home run club. Natsuo Suyama became the 75^th to 500 homers and the 99^th to 2500 hits. Dae-Eui Ha was the 25^th batter to reach 3000 hits and the 36^th to 1500 runs scored. SS Jae-Won Park and RF Chae-Yun Choi both won their 11^th consecutive Gold Glove. CF Ebizo Umezu won his 8^th Gold Glove.

06-08-2025, 06:32 AM	#2272
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,882	2030 in EAB Five of the six playoff teams from 2029 in the Japan League made it back in 2030. Nagoya swapped spots with Kobe in the Central Division with both teams fighting for the top seed. The Nightowls finished 106-56 for their third straight playoff berth, while the Blaze had to settle for a wild card at 103-59. Kobe’s playoff streak grew to eight seasons. Nagoya led the JL with 784 runs scored. The Blaze pitching staff had 1808 strikeouts and a 11.05 K/9, both of which were the second-best in East Asia Baseball history. Reigning EAB champ Niigata was also in the hunt for the top seed at 103-59, dominating the North Division. The Green Dragons’ playoff streak grew to four years. Kitakyushu was the one new playoff team for 2030, edging out Hiroshima by two games for the West Division title. The Kodiaks finished 94-68 and allowed the fewest runs at 489. It was a remarkable turnaround for Kitakyushu, who hadn’t seen a winning season in a decade. At 92-70, the Hammerheads got the second wild card to grow their playoff streak to five. Kyoto was the closest foe at 90-72, missing the cut after winning 101 games the prior year. The weakest division champ was Tokyo at 92-70, repeating atop the Capital Division. Chiba was second place at 85-77. Also worth a mention was Sapporo at 76-86, their first losing season since 2017. Hiroshima 1B Hyung-Gwang Sohn won his second Japan League MVP, having previously earned it in 2027. The 28-year old lefty led in home runs (49), RBI (136), total bases (362), OBP (.415), slugging (.643), OPS (1.058), wRC+ (220), and WAR (9.8). Sohn added 182 hits, 110 runs, and a .323 average. Sohn would sign a historic eight-year, $391,500,000 extension with the Hammerheads in August 2031; the richest deal in baseball history to that point. Pitcher of the Year was Kitakyushu’s Hyuuma Miyata in his third season. He bounced back after missing most of 2029 to a torn rotator cuff. The 24-year old righty led in ERA (1.52), WHIP (0.79), and quality starts (29). Miyata’s ERA was the 25^th-best qualifying ERA in EAB history. He struck out 251 over 242 innings with a 16-7 record, 218 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR. In the wild card round, Tokyo swept Kobe 3-0 and Kitakyushu held off Hiroshima 3-1. Nagoya clobbered the Tides 3-0 in the divisional round, while Niigata survived 3-2 against the Kodiaks. The defending champ Green Dragons earned their fourth straight trip to the Japan League Championship Series. The Nightowls had played spoiler to a 110-win Niigata in 2028 in the JLCS, preventing a repeat bid. This time, Nagoya had home field advantage and again would prevent the Green Dragons from repeat pennants. The JLCS went seven games for the first time since 2025 with the Nightowls prevailing, becoming ten-time Japan League champs (1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1948, 1964, 1979, 2009, 2028, 2030). The realigned Korea League ended up with a loaded North Division. Goyang and Pyongyang had a fierce battle for the top seed which the Green Sox claimed with a franchise-best 112-50. The Pythons were a close second at 109-53, but had to settle for the first wild card. Pyongyang ended a 13-year playoff drought, while Goyang won a fourth straight division title. The Green Sox led EAB in scoring with 893 runs, while the Pythons allowed the fewest in the KL at 532. The #2 seed went to defending Korea League champ Busan at 101-61 atop the Southeast Division. The Blue Jays won a seventh straight division title and grew their EAB-record playoff streak to 11 years. For the eighth time in that streak, Busan won 100+ games. Suwon won the Central Division at 95-67, topping Incheon (89-73) by six. The Snappers earned repeat playoff trips, although it was their first division title since 2021. Seoul also advanced out of the North Division as the second wild card at 92-70. The Seahawks were one better than Ulsan (91-71) and three ahead of Incheon (89-73). Seoul ended their own playoff drought at 11 years. The Inferno had their playoff streak end at four seasons. Yongin, a wild card last year, notably struggled to 68-94. The weakest division champ was Jeonju at 87-75, the only team above .500 in the Southwest Division. The Jethawks snapped an eight-year playoff drought, earning their first division title since the 1980s. Daejeon continued to struggle at 70-92, growing their playoff drought to 42 seasons. Despite that, they had the Korea League MVP Hyeon-Jun Kim. The 25-year old 3B led in slugging (.700), OPS (1.101), wRC+ (189), and WAR (10.9). Kim added 202 hits, 113 runs, 58 home runs, 136 RBI, and a .340 average. The struggling Ducks wouldn’t be able to keep Kim beyond 2031, as he’d sign an eight-year, $324 million deal with expansion Jeju. He held off Hamhung’s Toichi Kumura for MVP despite the latter’s 64 home runs and 162 RBI. It was only the fifth time in EAB history that a player had 160+ RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Goyang’s Oniji Yamamoto, winning his second ERA title. The 25-year old lefty had a 1.58 ERA and led in K/BB (13.0), quality starts (27), FIP- (51), and WAR (9.7). Yamamoto had a 21-3 record over 238.2 innings with 299 strikeouts and 246 ERA+. He missed the Triple Crown by one win and 12 strikeouts. Jeonju upset Pyongyang 3-1 in the wild card round and Suwon topped Seoul 3-1. Top seed Goyang ousted the Jethawks 3-1 in the divisional series, earning a shot at their second pennant in three years. Meanwhile, the Snappers stunned Busan 3-1 to earn back-to-back trips to the Korea League Championship Series. The Green Sox rolled to a 4-1 KLCS win over Suwon to become six-time KL champs (1991, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2028, 2030). For the first time since 2009, the East Asian Championship featured the top seed from both leagues. It was also a rematch of the 2028 finale, which Goyang won 4-2 over Nagoya. The Nightowls got revenge 4-1 over the Green Sox to claim the 110^th EAB title. Nagoya became six-time EAB champs (1930, 1934, 1940, 1964, 2009, 2030). Mitsuo Wada had a huge postseason, winning MVP of the EAB Championship, JLCS, and divisional series. The 26-year old 3B joined Nagoya as a free agent in 2030 after starting with Jeonju. In 15 playoff starts, Wada had 23 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, 6 RBI, 1.071 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. Nightowls closer Kenji Yoshii also tied the EAB playoff record of eight saves. He posted a 1.04 ERA over 17.1 innings with 20 strikeouts. Other notes: The 43^rd Perfect Game in EAB was thrown by Pyongyang’s Yasuo Nakajima, fanning 11 against Daejeon on July 7. Tokyo’s Toshio Takahashi threw 16 scoreless playoff innings over two starts, becoming the 10^th in EAB playoff history with a zero ERA over 15+ innings. Seongnam’s Tae-Yang Chai had a four home run game on May 30against Hamhung, the 15^th such game in EAB history. He was the first to do it with only solo homers. Nobuyoshi Yamauchi became the 2^nd pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts. He finished the year at 5049, still a good distance from Sang-Hun Joon’s top mark of 5694. As of 2037, Yamauchi is one of only 44 pitchers in all of pro baseball history with 5000+ Ks. Kunihiko Ishiguro became the 6^th member of the 800 home run club. Natsuo Suyama became the 75^th to 500 homers and the 99^th to 2500 hits. Dae-Eui Ha was the 25^th batter to reach 3000 hits and the 36^th to 1500 runs scored. SS Jae-Won Park and RF Chae-Yun Choi both won their 11^th consecutive Gold Glove. CF Ebizo Umezu won his 8^th Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)