[Jul 19, 2026 (Sun)] NPB Japanese Baseball Analysis Fighters vs Buffaloes Preview - BeaverStats

This is an NPB analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of Fighters vs Buffaloes (Jul 19, 2026 (Sun)).

*Lineups aren't confirmed yet! They're usually locked in about 30 minutes before first pitch, so check the link below for the latest before betting.

The screenshots below are captured straight from the site's data.

You can see the full, more detailed data on the game list.

This post was analyzed/written by AI based on data from beaverstats.com. Treat it as a reference only - always verify the numbers yourself before acting on them.

Fighters vs Buffaloes (07.19 13:00, Kyocera Dome)

Starters: Fighters Yamasaki Sachiya / Buffaloes Takashima Taito

The gap in winning percentage is modest, third place Nippon-Ham at .560 versus fourth place Orix at .500, but the season series tells a much clearer story, with the Fighters holding an 11 to 5 edge over the Buffaloes. Recent form also favors Nippon-Ham, who have won their last game while Orix have dropped four straight.

The starting matchup is a bit more nuanced. Fighters starter Yamasaki Sachiya has seen his velocity steadily decline over his last five outings, from 141.5 down to 138.7 km/h, and his recent FIP of 3.61 has slipped compared to his 2.74 season ERA, though two of those recent outings were only one inning long, so the sample is thin. Buffaloes starter Takashima Taito has held steady in the 149 to 150 km/h range, and his 3.40 recent FIP is actually a touch better than his 3.72 season ERA, suggesting he is the one in better current form. His track record against Nippon-Ham is limited to one start, a 1.80 ERA win back on April 25, so it is too small a sample to lean on heavily.

Both lineups remain unconfirmed. A few Fighters hitters have hit .500 against Takashima in the past, but again, the samples are tiny. Offensively, Nippon-Ham is clearly hot, up from .272 to .306 over the last five games, while Orix has ticked up modestly too, from .262 to .279. The bullpen gap is the most lopsided factor: the Nippon-Ham relievers have logged 9 innings with a 3.35 ERA, while the Orix pen has been worked much harder at 11.1 innings and posted a rough 5.30 ERA.

Taken together, the head to head record, the losing streak, and the bullpen situation all point toward Nippon-Ham, with the velocity dip from Yamasaki standing out as the one real question mark.