[Jul 23, 2026 (Thu)] 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 23, 2026 (Thu)).

*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 (07.23 18:00, MIZUHO PayPay Dome)

Starters: Buffaloes Yamaguchi Reo / Hawks Matsumoto Haru

SoftBank sit atop the league at a dominant .630 win rate (55-1-33) and are riding a one-game win streak, while Orix sit fourth at .500 (44-2-44) and have just dropped one, so the standings clearly favor SoftBank. The season series flips that script, though -- Orix actually lead this head-to-head 8-6 -- which stands out as the one number pointing the other way.

The starters are Orix's Yamaguchi Reo and SoftBank's Matsumoto Haru. Matsumoto's velocity has held steady in the 145-147 km/h range over his last five outings (145.8, 146.2, 147.2, 145.3, 146.4), and his 3.53 season ERA backs up a solid, consistent year. Yamaguchi Reo, however, has no recorded season data available -- no recent velocity readings, season ERA, or FIP to draw on -- so his current form is hard to gauge from the numbers alone. Matsumoto has faced Orix twice already this season (April 28, April 19), splitting those starts with a one-run win over six innings and a two-run loss over 8.1 innings.

Both lineups remain unconfirmed ahead of first pitch. Offensively, SoftBank have been red-hot, climbing from a .271 season average to .303 over their last five games, while Orix have cooled from .261 to .237 over the same stretch -- a clear edge for SoftBank's bats. The bullpen gap is even sharper: SoftBank's relievers have a 1.62 ERA over their last 8.2 innings, while Orix's pen has been rocked for an 8.05 ERA over 12 innings.

Between the standings, the hot bats, and the bullpen numbers, most signals point clearly toward SoftBank at home, but Orix's edge in the season series and the lack of any recent data on Yamaguchi Reo leave enough uncertainty that this isn't a lock either way.