[Jul 25, 2026 (Sat)] 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 25, 2026 (Sat)).

*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 (07/25 18:00, Belluna Dome)

Starters: Hawks Ohtsu Ryosuke / Lions Takeuchi Natsuki

The Hawks sit atop the Pacific League at a robust .633 clip and enter on a three-game winning streak, while the Lions are a solid second at .571 despite dropping their last two. On paper the standings favor Fukuoka, but flip to the season series and Seibu actually holds a slight 8-7 edge over the Hawks — a reversal worth keeping in mind.

On the mound, Ryosuke Ohtsu's velocity has crept up gently over his last five outings, from 145.6 km/h to 146.4 km/h, so his stuff looks to be trending the right way. Natsuki Takeuchi has bounced between roughly 146 and 148 km/h without any real drop-off either.

Both starters carry strong season ERAs — Ohtsu at 2.08, Takeuchi at 2.71 — but the gap opens up once you zoom in on the last five starts. Ohtsu's FIP over that stretch balloons to 5.20, a clear step back from his season number, while Takeuchi's actually improves to 2.59. That points to some recent shakiness for Ohtsu even with the shiny ERA.

History between these two and their opponents cuts in Ohtsu's favor, though. He's beaten Seibu in all three head-to-head starts this year (July 2, April 23, April 9), each with an ERA under 1.30. Takeuchi, on the other hand, has faced the Hawks just once this season, on July 2, and took the loss with a 4.50 ERA — so on paper Ohtsu has clearly had the upper hand in this particular matchup.

Neither lineup is officially confirmed yet — both are still showing the previous game's lineup as a placeholder — so there's a chance either side shuffles things before first pitch.

At the plate, the Hawks are noticeably hot, hitting .352 over their last five games versus a .280 season mark, while the Lions have basically flatlined, going from .260 for the season to .257 recently. That gap tilts the offensive edge toward Fukuoka as well.

Bullpen-wise, the Hawks have leaned on just seven relievers for nine innings recently with a sharp 2.43 ERA, while the Lions have needed ten arms across 13 innings and are running a much shakier 3.97 mark — Fukuoka's pen looks fresher and more trustworthy right now.

Add it all up and most of the signals — recent form, head-to-head history, hot bats, and bullpen freshness — lean toward the Hawks. That said, Seibu's starter is throwing well in his own right and actually holds the season-series edge, so this one still has the makings of a tight game worth watching.