[Jul 24, 2026 (Fri)] NPB Japanese Baseball Analysis Hawks vs Lions Preview - BeaverStats

This is an NPB analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of Hawks vs Lions (Jul 24, 2026 (Fri)).

*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.

Hawks vs Lions (07.24 18:00, Belluna Dome)

Starters: Hawks Kamichatani Taiga / Lions Watanabe Yutaro

The first-place Hawks (.629) hold a clear lead over the second-place Lions (.578) and are riding a two-game winning streak. What is interesting, though, is that the season series actually favors the Lions, who lead 8-6, a reversal from the overall standings that suggests the Lions have held their own against the leagues top team head-to-head. On velocity, Watanabe Yutaro has been climbing, up from 146.8 to 148.8 km/h, while Kamichatani Taiga sits higher overall in the 148-151 range but without a clear upward or downward trend. Season ERA clearly favors Kamichatani at 2.25 versus Watanabes 3.28, but the last-five-start FIPs tell a different story: Watanabes 3.1 mark is a slight improvement on his season number, while Kamichatanis 4.34 mark is a notable step back. That said, Kamichatanis last five outings add up to only 13.1 innings total (roughly 1-3 innings a start), suggesting a lot of short or piggyback outings rather than traditional starts, so that FIP number should be read with some caution. Head-to-head results are mixed for both, Watanabe threw a shutout on May 12 (0.0 ERA) but got shelled on May 5 (10.8 ERA), while Kamichatani took the loss on May 12 and picked up a win on May 5 (though in a brief 0.2-inning outing), so there is not a clear signal from this matchup history alone. Both lineups remain unconfirmed today. Both offenses are trending hot: the Lions have gone from a .257 season average to .298 over their last five games, and the Hawks, already strong at .281, have climbed to .304. Bullpens diverge sharply, the Lions have logged a heavy 17 innings of relief work recently (3.38 ERA), while the Hawks have needed only 9 innings and posted a sharp 2.43 ERA, leaving them much fresher. Altogether, the Hawks look like the stronger team overall with a fresher bullpen, but the Lions hold the head-to-head edge and their starters velocity is trending up, so it feels too early to call this one for the Hawks just because of the standings.