[Jul 20, 2026 (Mon)] NPB Japanese Baseball Analysis BayStars vs Tigers Preview - BeaverStats

This is an NPB analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of BayStars vs Tigers (Jul 20, 2026 (Mon)).

*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.

BayStars vs Tigers (07.20 18:00, Koshien Stadium)

Starters: BayStars Taira Kentaro / Tigers Ohtake Koutaro

The Tigers sit atop the standings at 1st (.560) on a one-game winning streak, while the BayStars are 4th (.450) -- but the BayStars are riding a three-game win streak of their own, so both teams arrive with momentum. The season series is dead even at 5-5, so the gap in the standings does not tell the whole story here.

The starter matchup is the more interesting angle. Hanshin Ohtake Koutaro carries a solid 2.77 season ERA, but his FIP over his last five starts has climbed to 3.6, suggesting his form has slipped. Yokohama Taira Kentaro, by contrast, has an unremarkable 4.04 season ERA but a last-five FIP of just 1.49 -- by recent form alone, Taira has actually been the sharper pitcher. Velocity backs that up somewhat too: Ohtake has crept up from 135 to 139 km/h recently, but that is still shy of Taira steady 142-143 range. Each has faced the other team once this season -- Ohtake took the loss on May 9 despite going 8 innings with 3 earned, while Taira picked up the win on May 8 with 5.1 innings and just 1 earned, giving the head-to-head edge to Taira as well.

Both lineups remain unconfirmed, still running on the previous game cards. Offensively, both teams share an identical .269 season average, but the recent split is stark -- Hanshin has cooled to .236 over their last five games while Yokohama has heated up to .305. Both bullpens have been excellent lately, each covering their recent innings with about 6 relievers and ERAs in the 1-point range (Hanshin 1.32, Yokohama 1.77), with Hanshin holding a slight edge there.

Put it together and Hanshin still has the standings and a marginally better bullpen, but Yokohama starter is trending sharper, their bats are hot, and they have also got the head-to-head edge -- making this look like a genuine contest rather than a case of the higher-ranked team simply being favored.