While Japan¡¯s successful run through the World Baseball Classic dominated the headlines, Japanese¡¯s baseball¡¯s 12 pro teams were quietly hard at work. When they weren¡¯t sneaking peeks at the screen to keep track of their teammates and friends on the Samurai Japan roster, the players were preparing for a 2023 season that rides in on a wave of WBC-inspired momentum.
The Pacific League will be the first of NPB¡¯s two circuits to play ball this year, as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles open the year at the Fighters¡¯ new ballpark on Thursday, before the rest of NPB begins play on Friday.
The following is the first of a two-part NPB preview beginning with the 2023 Pacific League.
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