List of Yomiuri Giants seasons

The Yomiuri Giants are a professional baseball team based in Tokyo. Also known as Kyojin, the Giants play in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team started play in 1934 as a team of all-stars named the Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, which was organized by media mogul Matsutarō Shōriki that toured the United States. In 1936, with the formation of the Japanese Baseball League, the team, now known as the Tokyo Giants, began play. They rebranded to Tokyo Kyojin in 1941 before changing their name to their current form in 1947. The Giants won nine JBL championships from 1936 to 1949.

Since the formation of NPB in 1950, in their 76 seasons, the franchise has won 22 Japan Series championships, the most of any NPB team and 9 more than the second-place Saitama Seibu Lions. They have finished first place in the Central League 39 times and have competed in the Japan Series 36 times. The Giants have played home at Tokyo Dome since 1988.

Table key

Key to symbols and terms in season table
W Number of regular season wins
L Number of regular season losses
T Number of regular season ties
GB Games behind from league's first-place team[a]
ROY Rookie of the Year
MVP Most Valuable Player
ESA Eiji Sawamura Award
BNA Best Nine Award
MSA Matsutaro Shoriki Award

Season-by-season records

Japan Series Champions
(1950–present) †
Japanese Baseball League / Central League Pennant
(1950–present)
Central League Regular Season Champions
(1950–present) ^
Climax Series Berth
(2007–present) ¤
Season[1] League Finish Wins Losses Ties Win% GB Playoffs Awards
Tokyo Giants / Tokyo Kyojin
1936 JBL [A] 2 5 0 .286
Autumn 1936 JBL 1st 18 9 0 .667 Won Playoff (Tigers) 2–1 [B]
Spring 1937 JBL 1st 41 13 2 .759 [B] Eiji Sawamura (MVP)
Autumn 1937 JBL 2nd 30 18 0 .625 9
Spring 1938 JBL 2nd 24 11 0 .686 5
Autumn 1938 JBL 1st 30 9 1 .769 [B] Haruyasu Nakajima (MVP)
1939 JBL 1st 66 26 4 .717 [B] Victor Starffin (MVP)
1940 JBL 1st 76 28 0 .731 [B] Victor Starffin (MVP)
1941 JBL 1st 62 22 2 .738 [B] Tetsuharu Kawakami (MVP)
1942 JBL 1st 73 27 5 .730 [B] Shigeru Mizuhara (MVP)
1943 JBL 1st 54 27 3 .667 [B] Shosei Go (MVP)
1944 JBL 2nd 19 14 2 .576 8
1945 No league play because of World War II
1946 JBL 2nd 64 39 2 .621 1
Yomiuri Giants
1947 JBL 5th 56 59 4 .487 22.5
1948 JBL 2nd 83 55 2 .601 5
1949 JBL 1st 85 48 1 .639 [B]
1950 Central 3rd 82 54 4 .603 17.5
1951 Central 1st 79 29 6 .731 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–1 Tetsuharu Kawakami (MVP)
1952 Central 1st 83 37 0 .692 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2 Takehiko Bessho (MVP)
1953 Central 1st 87 37 1 .702 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2–1
1954 Central 2nd 82 47 1 .636 5.5 Takumi Otomo (MVP)
1955 Central 1st 92 37 1 .713 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–3 Tetsuharu Kawakami (MVP)
1956 Central 1st 82 44 4 .646 Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–2 Takehiko Bessho (MVP)
1957 Central 1st 74 53 3 .581 Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–0–1 Wally Yonamine (MVP)
1958 Central 1st 77 52 1 .596 Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–3 Motoshi Fujita (MVP)
1959 Central 1st 77 48 5 .612 Lost Japan Series (Hawks) 4–0 Motoshi Fujita (MVP)
1960 Central 3rd 66 61 3 .519 4.5
1961 Central 1st 71 53 6 .569 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2 Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)
1962 Central 4th 67 63 4 .515 8
1963 Central 1st 83 55 2 .601 Won Japan Series (Lions) 4–3 Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)
1964 Central 3rd 71 69 0 .507 11 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1965 Central 1st 91 47 2 .659 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1966 Central 1st 89 41 4 .685 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2 Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)
1967 Central 1st 84 46 4 .646 Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–2 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1968 Central 1st 77 53 4 .592 Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–2 Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)
1969 Central 1st 73 51 6 .589 Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–2 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1970 Central 1st 79 47 4 .627 Won Japan Series (Orions) 4–1 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1971 Central 1st 70 52 8 .574 Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–1 Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)
1972 Central 1st 74 52 4 .587 Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–1 Tsuneo Horiuchi (MVP)
1973 Central 1st 66 60 4 .524 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–1 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1974 Central 2nd 71 50 9 .587 0 [C] Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1975 Central 6th 47 76 7 .382 27
1976 Central 1st 76 45 9 .628 Lost Japan Series (Braves) 4–3 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1977 Central 1st 80 46 4 .635 Lost Japan Series (Braves) 4–1 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)
1978 Central 2nd 65 49 16 .570 3
1979 Central 5th 58 62 10 .483 10.5
1980 Central 3rd 61 60 9 .504 14
1981 Central 1st 73 48 9 .603 Won Japan Series (Fighters) 4–2 Suguru Egawa (MVP)
1982 Central 2nd 66 50 14 .569 0.5
1983 Central 1st 72 50 8 .590 Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–3 Tatsunori Hara (MVP)
1984 Central 3rd 67 54 9 .554 8.5
1985 Central 3rd 61 60 9 .504 12
1986 Central 2nd 75 48 7 .610 0
1987 Central 1st 76 43 11 .639 Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–2 Kazuhiro Yamakura (MVP)
1988 Central 2nd 68 59 3 .535 12
1989 Central 1st 84 44 2 .656 Won Japan Series (Buffaloes) 4–3 Warren Cromartie (MVP)
1990 Central 1st 88 42 0 .677 Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–0 Masaki Saito (MVP)
1991 Central 4th 66 64 0 .508 8
1992 Central 2nd 67 63 0 .515 2
1993 Central 3rd 64 66 1 .492 16
1994 Central 1st 70 60 0 .538 [D] Won Japan Series (Lions) 4–2 Masumi Kuwata (MVP)
1995 Central 3rd 72 58 1 .554 10
1996 Central 1st 77 53 0 .592 Lost Japan Series (BlueWave) 4–1 Hideki Matsui (MVP)
1997 Central 4th 63 72 0 .467 20
1998 Central 3rd 73 62 0 .541 6
1999 Central 2nd 75 60 0 .556 6
2000 Central 1st 78 57 0 .578 Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2 Hideki Matsui (MVP)
2001 Central 2nd 75 63 2 .543 3
2002 Central 1st 86 52 2 .623 Won Japan Series (Lions) 4–0 Hideki Matsui (MVP)
2003 Central 3rd 71 66 3 .518 15.5
2004 Central 3rd 71 64 3 .526 8
2005 Central 5th 62 80 4 .437 25.5
2006 Central 4th 65 79 2 .451 23.5
2007 Central 1st 80 63 1 .559 Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 3–0 Michihiro Ogasawara (MVP)
2008 Central 1st 84 57 3 .596 Won Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 3–1
Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–3
Alex Ramírez (MVP)
2009 Central 1st 89 46 9 .659 Won Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 4–1
Won Japan Series (Fighters) 4–2
Alex Ramírez (MVP)
2010 Central 3rd 79 64 1 .552 1 Won Climax Series First Stage (Tigers) 2–0
Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 1–4
2011 Central 3rd 71 62 11 .534 3.5 Lost Climax Series First Stage (Swallows) 2–1
2012 Central 1st 86 43 15 .667 Won Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 4–3
Won Japan Series (Fighters) 4–2
Shinnosuke Abe (MVP)
2013 Central 1st 84 53 7 .613 Won Climax Series Final Stage (Carp) 4–0
Won Japan Series (Golden Eagles) 4–3
2014 Central 1st 82 61 1 .573 Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Tigers) 4–1 Tomoyuki Sugano (MVP)
2015 Central 2nd 75 67 1 .528 1.5 Won Climax Series First Stage (Tigers) 2–1
Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Swallows) 4–1
2016 Central 2nd 71 69 3 .507 17.5 Lost Climax Series First Stage (BayStars) 2–1
2017 Central 4th 72 68 3 .514 16.5
2018 Central 3rd 67 71 5 .486 13.5 Won Climax Series First Stage (Swallows) 2–0
Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Carp) 4–0
2019 Central 1st 77 64 2 .546 Won Climax Series Final Stage (Tigers) 4–1
Lost Japan Series (Hawks) 4–0[2]
Hayato Sakamoto (MVP)
2020 Central[D] 1st 67 45 8 .598 Lost Japan Series (Hawks) 4–0[3] Tomoyuki Sugano (MVP)
2021 Central 3rd 61 62 20 .496 11 Won Climax Series First Stage (Tigers) 2–0
Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Swallows) 0–3
2022 Central 4th 68 72 3 .486 12.5
2023 Central 4th 71 70 2 .504 15.5
2024 Central 1st 77 59 7 .566 Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Baystars) 4–3 Tomoyuki Sugano (MVP)
2025 Central 3rd 70 69 4 .504 15 Lost Climax Series First Stage (BayStars) 2–0

Notes

  • a This is determined by calculating the difference in wins plus the difference in losses divided by two.

A Records for the 1936 season are not complete. In the inaugural season, a Fall playoff between the top two teams, the Osaka Tigers and the Tokyo Kyojin, was played. The Kyojin won the series two games-to-one to be declared champions.
B For all but the first season of 1936, the JBL did not institute a playoff of any kind. The 1936, 1937, and 1938 seasons were the only seasons in its existence with first and second half champions.
C Excluding ties, the Chunichi Dragons prevailed to win the Central League pennant with a record of 70–49 (.5882) while the Giants had a record of 71–50 (.5867)
D Both the Giants and Chunichi Dragons were 69–60 before the 130th and final game of the season. In the 1994 Central League tie-breaker game, otherwise known as the "10.8 deciding match", the Giants won 6–3.
E Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NPB saw both of their leagues modify their playoff format. The PL decided to modify the traditional Climax Series format and eliminate the First Stage series to instead play only one modified Final Stage series while the Central League sent the first place team directly to the Japan Series, which in this case was Yomiuri.

References

  1. ^ "Yomiuri Giants Annual Results (1936-2025)". npb.jp.
  2. ^ Coskrey, Jason. "Hawks sweep Giants to win third straight Japan Series". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "SoftBank Hawks win 4th straight Japan Series championship". Mainichi Shimbun. Kyodo News. November 25, 2020. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.