2025 Pro Baseball Championship Series Guide: Japan, MLB, Korea & Taiwan

In 2025, top teams from professional baseball in various countries, from Asia to America, continued to compete in heated battles for glory. Japan's "Japan Series," America's "MLB World Series," South Korea's "KBO Korea Series," and Taiwan's "Taiwan Series" are the biggest stages representing their respective countries, and every year they are special showdowns that bring drama and excitement to the games.

In this article, we will introduce the four major tournaments held in 2025, including an overview of the series, the characteristics of the winning teams and their rivals, the deciding factors in the wins and losses, and the performances of the MVP players.

• Table of Contents
• Overview of the 2025 Asian and American Major Professional Baseball Series
• [Japan] 2025 Japan Series
• [USA] 2025 MLB World Series
• [Korea] 2025 KBO Korea Series
• The deciding factor
• [Taiwan] 2025 Taiwan Series
• Purchase Japanese professional baseball tickets at Tickets in Japan
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Overview of the 2025 Asian and American Major Professional Baseball Series

Baseball is a sport enjoyed all over the world, with Japan being the main stage for professional baseball in Asia and the United States being the main stage for professional baseball in the Americas. In Japan, there is the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the highest level professional baseball league in the country, with 12 teams divided into two leagues, the Central League (Central League) and the Pacific League (Pacific League), competing throughout the year.

One of the characteristics of NPB is that the Central League does not use the designated hitter system, while the Pacific League does, which means that the rules are unique and different from those of American leagues. In NPB, the "Climax Series" and the subsequent "Japan Series" are key tournaments, and are important factors in understanding the structure of the season's deciding battles.

This article introduces the major professional baseball "series" in Asia, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, as well as the United States, in 2025.

[Japan] 2025 Japan Series

The Japan Series, which determines the pinnacle of Japanese professional baseball, is the biggest stage of the year, with the champions of the Central and Pacific Leagues clashing. Here, we look back at the 2025 Japan Series, looking at the characteristics of the participating teams, the factors that determined the outcome, and the glorious MVP player.

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What is the Japan Series?

The Japan Series (SMBC Japan Series) is the final showdown to determine the annual champion of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The winners of the Central League and Pacific League face off against each other, with the first team to win four games clinching the title of "Japan's best." A maximum of seven games are played, usually between late October and early November. The games are played at alternating home and away stadiums for each team.

To reach this stage, each team must play through approximately 143 regular season games, and then advance to the Climax Series, which is contested by the top three teams from each league. This is the ultimate showdown in Japanese baseball, testing the efforts and team strength accumulated over the long season.

Learn More About Japan’s Climax Series Format

Characteristics of the 2025 winning team and opposing team

The 2025 SMBC Japan Series was a heated battle between the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS and the Hanshin Tigers. SoftBank won with a score of 4-1, achieving their 12th Japan Series title (8th as SoftBank) and first in 5 years. The team celebrated the milestone of their 20th anniversary with their own strength.

Compare the 2025 Champions and Runners-Up

The deciding factor

The Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS were able to reclaim the championship in the 2025 Japan Series thanks to their comprehensive strength, which combined a deep roster of players with strategic flexibility. The biggest factors behind their four consecutive wins despite losing the first game were their organizational resilience and the decisiveness of their teammates.

See the Key Moments That Decided the Series

MVP Player

In professional baseball, there are several awards to recognize performance, such as the Monthly MVP, Annual MVP, and Japan Series MVP. Among these, the Japan Series MVP, which concludes the season, is a special honor given to the player who has shone the brightest. In the 2025 Japan Series, Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS' Hotaka Yamakawa won the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).

See How Japan Series MVP Hodaka Yamakawa Performed

[USA] 2025 MLB World Series

The World Series, which determines the annual champion of Major League Baseball (MLB), is a major event that attracts attention from baseball fans around the world. Here, we will take a detailed look at the 2025 World Series, including the structure of the tournament, the characteristics of the winning team and opponents, the deciding factors in the game, and the performance of the MVP player.

What is the MLB World Series?

MLB (Major League Baseball) is the world's top professional baseball league, consisting of 30 teams in the United States (29 teams) and Canada (1 team). The league is divided into the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), and each league's East, Central, and West divisions compete in a 162-game regular season.

After the season ends, the top six teams from each league (12 teams in total) advance to the postseason (playoffs). The team that wins the Wild Card Series, Division Series, and League Championship is crowned the league champion. The American League champion and the National League champion finally clash in the World Series.

The 2025 season will kick off on October 24th, with the winner determined in Game 7 on November 1st (November 2nd Japan time). Fans from around the world are excited, and this series can truly be called the ultimate showdown in MLB.

Characteristics of the 2025 winning team and opposing team

The 2025 World Series was a matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, with the Dodgers winning in a dramatic 11-inning victory. The Dodgers won Game 7 5-4 to win their second consecutive championship. The Blue Jays were aiming for their first title in 32 years, but missed out by just a hair.

Compare the 2025 Champions and Runners-Up

The deciding factor

Game 7 of the 2025 World Series was a heated battle between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays that went into 11 extra innings. The Dodgers ultimately won 5-4, becoming world champions for the second consecutive year.

See the Key Moments That Decided the Series

MVP Player

In the 2025 World Series, Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the MVP award.

Check out the performance of World Series MVP "Yoshinobu Yamamoto"

Find the Home Stadium of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s NPB Team, the Orix Buffaloes

[Korea] 2025 KBO Korea Series

The Korea Series, which determines the top team in the Korea Professional Baseball League (KBO), attracts a great deal of attention every year as the nation's highest stage. After fierce battles, the winner of the 2025 season was decided. Here, we will introduce an overview of the series, the characteristics of the winning and opposing teams, the deciding factors, and the MVP player in detail.

What is the Korean Series?

The Korea Series in the Korea Professional Baseball Organization (KBO) is the final showdown to determine the season champion, and is comparable to Japan's Japan Series or the United States' World Series. This series, which concludes the KBO League postseason, pits the team that finished first in the regular season against the team that advanced through the playoffs. The series is played in a best-of-seven format, with the winning team crowned that year's KBO Champion.

Baseball is extremely popular in South Korea, and the Korea Series is a national event, attracting huge television coverage and huge audience numbers. The 2025 Korea Series kicked off on October 26th, with the seventh and final game taking place on November 3rd. The final game was between the LG Twins, who had performed well following their success in 2023 and 2024, and the resurgent Hanwha Eagles. This clash of skill and momentum attracted attention both in South Korea and abroad.

Characteristics of the 2025 winning team and opposing team

The LG Twins of the Korean Professional Baseball League won the 2025 Korea Series, becoming champions for the fourth time in two years. LG defeated the Hanwha Eagles 4-1 in Game 5 in Ota on October 31st, clinching the championship with a 4-1 series record. Thanks to their solid offense and defense and the competitive spirit of their key hitters, the Twins secured their fourth overall title, following their victory in 2023.

Compare the 2025 Champions and Runners-Up

The deciding factor

The deciding factor in the 2025 Korea Series was the LG Twins' overall strength and their ability to win in the final stages. LG, who finished first in the regular season, had a good balance between pitching and batting, with the relief pitchers especially showing their stability. In Game 4, starter Yonny Chirinos pitched well, allowing only one run in six innings. In the top of the ninth, Park Dong-won hit a two-run home run, followed by Kim Hyun-soo (now with KT Wiz)'s game-winning hit, leading to a last-minute comeback.

See the Key Moments That Decided the Series

MVP Player

Kim Hyun-soo (formerly of the LG Twins, currently of the KT Wiz) was selected as the 2025 Korea Series MVP.

See How Korea Series MVP Kim Hyun-soo Performed

[Taiwan] 2025 Taiwan Series

The Taiwan Series, which determines the top team in Taiwanese professional baseball, is a major event that draws the attention of many fans every year. In 2025, the series was a heated battle, with some of the most representative players in the baseball world battling for victory. Here, we'll take a closer look at the series, including the characteristics of the winning team, the deciding factors, and the MVP player.

What is the Taiwan Series?

The Taiwan Series, the showdown for the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), begins in mid-October every year, with the first team to win four of seven games declared the winner. The 2025 series began on October 18th, with heated battles unfolding for about a week.

Taiwan's professional baseball league was founded in 1989 as the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), and opened with four teams in March 1990. It later expanded to seven teams, but a series of match-fixing scandals occurred in the late 1990s, leading to the dissolution of several teams. In 2003, the league merged with the rival Taiwan League and made a fresh start.

Currently, the Taiwan Series is comprised of six teams: the Taiwan Steel Hawks, the Wei Quan Dragons, the China Trust Brothers, the Rakuten Monkeys, the Fubon Guardians, and the Uni-President 7-ELEVen Lions. The Taiwan Series is the biggest event in the country, determining the champion of the year, and is the game that attracts the most attention from Taiwanese baseball fans.

Characteristics of the 2025 winning team and opposing team

In the 2025 Taiwan Series, the Rakuten Monkeys defeated the Chinatrust Brothers 4-1 to become Taiwan's champions for the eighth time (and the first time for Rakuten) and the first time in six years. Game 5 was a fierce battle that went into extra innings, with Lin Hong-yu's two-run home run being the deciding hit.

Compare the 2025 Champions and Runners-Up

The deciding factor

The Rakuten Monkeys' tenacious offense and solid pitching were the driving forces behind their victory in the 2025 Taiwan Series. In Game 5, they allowed the opponent to take the lead early on and were trailing by four points by the sixth inning, but their tenacity shone through as they scored small runs in the seventh and eighth innings to bring the game back to square one. Their lack of momentum in the final innings was what separated them from the Chinatrust Brothers.

See the Key Moments That Decided the Series

MVP Player

The 2025 Taiwan Series MVP was Rakuten Monkeys starting pitcher Weneng Tei.

See How Taiwan Series MVP Pedro Fernández Performed

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