# Central League

The Central League (セントラル・リーグ, Sentoraru Rīgu) or Ce League (セ・リーグ, Se Rīgu), also known as the JERA Central League (JERAセ・リーグ, JERA Se Rīgu) for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country. Unlike the Pacific League, designated hitters are not used during Central League home games.

## History

The Central League was founded in 1949 with eight teams: four holdovers from the previous Japanese Baseball League — the Chunichi Dragons, the Hanshin Tigers, the Yomiuri Giants, and the Shochiku Robins (formerly the Taiyō Robins) — and four new teams — the Hiroshima Carp, the Kokutetsu Swallows, the Nishi Nippon Pirates, and the Taiyō Whales.
The Nishi Nippon Pirates existed for one season — they placed sixth in 1950, and the following season merged with the also Fukuoka-based Nishitetsu Clippers (a member of the Pacific League) to form the Nishitetsu Lions, who joined the Pacific League. This brought the number of Central League teams down to an ungainly arrangement of seven.
Ryuji Suzuki became president of the Central League in 1952.
In 1952, it was decided that any team ending the season with a winning percentage below .300 would be disbanded or merged with other teams. The Shochiku Robins fell into this category, and were merged with the Taiyō Whales to become the Taiyō Shochiku Robins in January 1953. This enabled the Central League to shrink to an even number of six teams.
Ryuji Suzuki retired as CL president in 1984 after 33 years at the post.
In 2007, a new Climax Series was introduced. This playoff series was inspired by the stepladder playoff used in the Pacific League introduced in 2004 for the top three teams of the league to determine which one progressed to the Japan Series. Under the previous system, there was no post-season playoff and the winner of the pennant automatically qualified for the Japan Series.

## Current teams

| Team | Japanese Name | Founded | Location | Stadium | Owner |
| Chunichi Dragons | 中日ドラゴンズ Chūnichi Doragonzu | January 15, 1936 | Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi | Vantelin Dome Nagoya | Chunichi Shimbun |
| Hanshin Tigers | 阪神タイガース Hanshin Taigāsu | December 10, 1935 | HQ in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Plays between Osaka and Hyogo | Hanshin Koshien Stadium and Kyocera Dome Osaka | Hankyu Hanshin Holdings |
| Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 広島東洋カープ Hiroshima Tōyō Kāpu | December 5, 1949 | Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima | Mazda Stadium | Matsuda family [66.7%] Mazda [33.3%] |
| Tokyo Yakult Swallows | 東京ヤクルトスワローズ Tōkyō Yakuruto Suwarōzu | January 12, 1950 | Shinjuku, Tokyo | Meiji Jingu Stadium | Yakult Honsha |
| Yokohama DeNA BayStars | 横浜DeNAベイスターズ Yokohama DeNA Beisutāzu | December 15, 1949 | Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa | Yokohama Stadium | DeNA |
| Yomiuri Giants | 読売ジャイアンツ Yomiuri Jaiantsu | December 26, 1934 | Bunkyo, Tokyo | Tokyo Dome | Yomiuri Shimbun |

## Central League pennant winners

* 2024 Yomiuri Giants
* 2023 Hanshin Tigers
* 2022 Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* 2021 Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* 2020 Yomiuri Giants
* 2019 Yomiuri Giants
* 2018 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 2017 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 2016 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 2015 Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* 2014 Yomiuri Giants
* 2013 Yomiuri Giants
* 2012 Yomiuri Giants
* 2011 Chunichi Dragons
* 2010 Chunichi Dragons
* 2009 Yomiuri Giants
* 2008 Yomiuri Giants
* 2007 Yomiuri Giants
* 2006 Chunichi Dragons
* 2005 Hanshin Tigers
* 2004 Chunichi Dragons
* 2003 Hanshin Tigers
* 2002 Yomiuri Giants
* 2001 Yakult Swallows
* 2000 Yomiuri Giants
* 1999 Chunichi Dragons
* 1998 Yokohama BayStars
* 1997 Yakult Swallows
* 1996 Yomiuri Giants
* 1995 Yakult Swallows
* 1994 Yomiuri Giants
* 1993 Yakult Swallows
* 1992 Yakult Swallows
* 1991 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 1990 Yomiuri Giants
* 1989 Yomiuri Giants
* 1988 Chunichi Dragons
* 1987 Yomiuri Giants
* 1986 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 1985 Hanshin Tigers
* 1984 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 1983 Yomiuri Giants
* 1982 Chunichi Dragons
* 1981 Yomiuri Giants
* 1980 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 1979 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 1978 Yakult Swallows
* 1977 Yomiuri Giants
* 1976 Yomiuri Giants
* 1975 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 1974 Chunichi Dragons
* 1973 Yomiuri Giants
* 1972 Yomiuri Giants
* 1971 Yomiuri Giants
* 1970 Yomiuri Giants
* 1969 Yomiuri Giants
* 1968 Yomiuri Giants
* 1967 Yomiuri Giants
* 1966 Yomiuri Giants
* 1965 Yomiuri Giants
* 1964 Hanshin Tigers
* 1963 Yomiuri Giants
* 1962 Hanshin Tigers
* 1961 Yomiuri Giants
* 1960 Taiyo Whales
* 1959 Yomiuri Giants
* 1958 Yomiuri Giants
* 1957 Yomiuri Giants
* 1956 Yomiuri Giants
* 1955 Yomiuri Giants
* 1954 Chunichi Dragons
* 1953 Yomiuri Giants
* 1952 Yomiuri Giants
* 1951 Yomiuri Giants
* 1950 Shochiku Robins

## Climax Series winners

* 2024 Yokohama DeNA BayStars
* 2023 Hanshin Tigers
* 2022 Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* 2021 Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* 2020 Yomiuri Giants
* 2019 Yomiuri Giants
* 2018 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 2017 Yokohama DeNA BayStars
* 2016 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* 2015 Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* 2014 Hanshin Tigers
* 2013 Yomiuri Giants
* 2012 Yomiuri Giants
* 2011 Chunichi Dragons
* 2010 Chunichi Dragons
* 2009 Yomiuri Giants
* 2008 Yomiuri Giants
* 2007 Chunichi Dragons

## Central League statistics

| Team | First | Second | Third |
| Yomiuri Giants | 39 | 12 | 13 |
| Chunichi Dragons | 9 | 23 | 14 |
| Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 9 | 7 | 10 |
| Tokyo Yakult Swallows | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| Hanshin Tigers | 6 | 19 | 16 |
| Yokohama DeNA BayStars | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| Shochiku Robins | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nishi Nippon Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Most Valuable Pitcher

    See: Best Nine Award#Other notes