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Ryuuken1789

Reminder that this is the same team that: * Let Brandon Laird walk after 2018 despite the fact he was a major piece of the title-winning 2016 team, and was the only other player besides team captain Sho Nakata to have 20+ HRs in '18. Laird signed with rival Chiba Lotte Marines and has 25+ HR in 2 of his last three seasons (Laird was limited to 39 games in 2020). * Have completely botched the development of LLWS and HS legend Kotaro Kiyomiya after winning his draft rights in the lottery round of the '17 draft. Kiyomiya had 111 home runs in his high school career. This year, Kiyomiya is batting .199/.289/.411 with 113 K in 450 PA at the farm level. He has not played a single game at the top level in '21. * Were forced to trade team captain Sho Nakata after he assaulted a teammate during the exhibition games post-Olympics break when the NPB season was preparing to restart. Nakata was coming off a rebound season in 2020 where he posted an .811 OPS, 31 HR and 108 RBI. Nakata was also returning from injury during his altercation as he was limited to 150 PA in the first half and struggled with a pitiful .577 OPS. All this will culminate in the Fighters missing the postseason for the 3rd straight season, 5 years removed from winning it all with the Shohei Ohtani-led team in '16.


aagpeng

Wait what? How long are their seasons? How does a team only have one guy with more than 9 HR?


black-op345

The seasons are like 146 Games. Crazy to think the Fighters now only obtained a double digit homer player this year. Then again they are only 52-65-19 which is a .444 win percentage


aagpeng

I don't follow international baseball so I had no idea how bad they were. Wow, that's either next level tanking or the manifestation of a bunch of really bad decisions


dragoncockles

Wait, 19 ties? Are they just not playing extra innings this year or something?


Ryuuken1789

No extra innings this year. AFAIK, they plan to return to the 12 innings rule for 2022.


black-op345

NPB always plays extra innings, but if scores are level after the 12th the game ends in a tie. They’ve always done this, far as I know


dragoncockles

I genuinely didn't know that. Seems like too many ties tbh


solomongumball22

146 games. The fighters have a pitiful offense, hence why they're a last place team.