[Jul 21, 2026 (Tue)] NPB Japanese Baseball Analysis Buffaloes vs Hawks Preview - BeaverStats

This is an NPB analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of Buffaloes vs Hawks (Jul 21, 2026 (Tue)).

*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.

Buffaloes vs Hawks (07/21 18:00, MIZUHO PayPay Dome)

Starters: Buffaloes Espinoza Anderson / Hawks Uwasawa Naoyuki

The Hawks are running away with first place in the Pacific League at .628, with the Buffaloes back in fourth at .500, but interestingly, Orix actually leads the season series 7-5. That is a sign this matchup might not be as lopsided as the standings suggest. Both teams are trending well lately too, with SoftBank riding a four-game win streak and Orix on a one-game winner.

On the mound, Uwasawa's velocity has climbed steadily over his last five starts (147.1, 146.3, 148.0, 148.4, 149.3 km/h), a good sign for his form. Espinoza is a different story, his only recent readings are all from April (150.3, 148.7, 148.0, 150.0), so there is no current data to track his velocity trend. Season ERA is close to even, with Uwasawa at 2.36 and Espinoza at 2.4, both elite marks. Their last-five FIP numbers (Uwasawa 2.81, Espinoza 2.34) track close to their season ERAs, suggesting both are in stable form. Head-to-head, Uwasawa has faced Orix three times this season and gone 2-1 (a win on July 7 with a 3.0 ERA, a loss on June 23 at 5.4, and a scoreless win on April 18), while Espinoza also has a win over SoftBank on record from May 20 (3.0 ERA).

Both lineups remain unconfirmed. The batter-vs-pitcher head-to-head numbers on both sides come from small samples and do not carry much weight. The batting split favors SoftBank, who have heated up from .262 to .294 over the last five games while Orix has cooled from .267 to .223. The bullpens also favor the Hawks, whose relievers carry a sharp 2.76 ERA compared to Orix's 4.72, even though Orix's pen has actually logged more recent innings (11.2 across seven arms versus SoftBank's 9.2 across six).

Taken together, the standings, starter's recent trend, hitting and bullpen numbers mostly lean toward SoftBank, but Orix's edge in this season's head-to-head is the one thing that stands out against that read. Worth noting Espinoza's velocity trend is basically unknown given the lack of recent readings.