The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country. Unlike the Pacific League, designated hitters are not used during Central League home games.

History

The Central League was founded in

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

with eight teams: four holdovers from the previous Japanese Baseball League — the Chunichi Dragons, the Hanshin Tigers, the Yomiuri Giants, and the Shochiku Robins (formerly the Taiyō Robins) — and four new teams — the Hiroshima Carp, the

Kokutetsu Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...

, the

Nishi Nippon Pirates The or Nishinippon Pirates were a former Nippon Professional Baseball team and a founding member of the Central League in 1950. The team was owned by the Nishinippon Shimbun and played their home games in Heiwadai Stadium in Fukuoka. After only on ...

, and the

Taiyō Whales The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

. The

existed for one season — they placed sixth in 1950, and the following season merged with the also Fukuoka-based Nishitetsu Clippers (a member of the Pacific League) to form the

Nishitetsu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, wh ...

, who joined the Pacific League. This brought the number of Central League teams down to an ungainly arrangement of seven. Ryuji Suzuki became president of the Central League in 1952."SUZUKI, Ryuji,"
The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Japan). Accessed March 27, 2015. In 1952, it was decided that any team ending the season with a winning percentage below .300 would be disbanded or merged with other teams. The Shochiku Robins fell into this category, and were merged with the

to become the

Taiyō Shochiku Robins The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

in January 1953. This enabled the Central League to shrink to an even number of six teams. Ryuji Suzuki retired as CL president in 1984 after 33 years at the post. In 2007, a new Climax Series was introduced. This playoff series was inspired by the stepladder playoff used in the Pacific League for the top three teams of the league to determine which one progressed to the Japan Series. Under the previous system, there was no post-season playoff and the winner of the pennant automatically qualified for the Japan Series.

Current teams

Central League pennant winners

*2022 Tokyo Yakult Swallows *2021 Tokyo Yakult Swallows *2020 Yomiuri Giants *2019 Yomiuri Giants *2018 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *2017 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *2016 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *2015 Tokyo Yakult Swallows *2014 Yomiuri Giants *2013 Yomiuri Giants *2012 Yomiuri Giants *2011 Chunichi Dragons *2010 Chunichi Dragons *2009 Yomiuri Giants *2008 Yomiuri Giants *2007 Yomiuri Giants *2006 Chunichi Dragons *2005 Hanshin Tigers *2004 Chunichi Dragons *2003 Hanshin Tigers *2002 Yomiuri Giants *2001

Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...

*2000 Yomiuri Giants *1999 Chunichi Dragons *1998 Yokohama BayStars *1997

*1996 Yomiuri Giants *1995

*1994 Yomiuri Giants *1993

*1992

*1991 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *1990 Yomiuri Giants *1989 Yomiuri Giants *1988 Chunichi Dragons *1987 Yomiuri Giants *1986 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *1985 Hanshin Tigers *1984 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *1983 Yomiuri Giants *1982 Chunichi Dragons *1981 Yomiuri Giants *1980 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *1979 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *1978

*1977 Yomiuri Giants *1976 Yomiuri Giants *1975 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *1974 Chunichi Dragons *1973 Yomiuri Giants *1972 Yomiuri Giants *1971 Yomiuri Giants *1970 Yomiuri Giants *1969 Yomiuri Giants *1968 Yomiuri Giants *1967 Yomiuri Giants *1966 Yomiuri Giants *1965 Yomiuri Giants *1964 Hanshin Tigers *1963 Yomiuri Giants *1962 Hanshin Tigers *1961 Yomiuri Giants *1960

Taiyo Whales The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

*1959 Yomiuri Giants *1958 Yomiuri Giants *1957 Yomiuri Giants *1956 Yomiuri Giants *1955 Yomiuri Giants *1954 Chunichi Dragons *1953 Yomiuri Giants *1952 Yomiuri Giants *1951 Yomiuri Giants *1950 Shochiku Robins

Climax Series winners

*2021 Tokyo Yakult Swallows *2020 Yomiuri Giants *2019 Yomiuri Giants *2018 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *2017 Yokohama DeNA BayStars *2016 Hiroshima Toyo Carp *2015 Tokyo Yakult Swallows *2014 Hanshin Tigers *2013 Yomiuri Giants *2012 Yomiuri Giants *2011 Chunichi Dragons *2010 Chunichi Dragons *2009 Yomiuri Giants *2008 Yomiuri Giants *2007 Chunichi Dragons

Central League statistics

Most Valuable Pitcher

:''See: Best Nine Award#Other notes''

Best Nine Awards

References

External links

*
Official website

List of players at ''Japanese Baseball''
{{Authority control 1 2 1949 establishments in Japan Sports leagues established in 1949 Annual events in Japan Professional sports leagues in Japan