List of Yomiuri Giants seasons

The Yomiuri Giants are a professional baseball team based in Tokyo. Also known as Kyojin, the Giants play in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team started play in 1934 as a team of all-stars named the Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, which was organized by media mogul Matsutarō Shōriki that toured the United States. In 1936, with the formation of the Japanese Baseball League, the team, now known as the Tokyo Giants, began play. They rebranded to Tokyo Kyojin in 1941 before changing their name to their current form in 1947. The Giants won nine JBL championships from 1936 to 1949.

Since the formation of NPB in 1950, in their 76 seasons, the franchise has won 22 Japan Series championships, the most of any NPB team and 9 more than the second-place Saitama Seibu Lions. They have finished first place in the Central League 39 times and have competed in the Japan Series 36 times. The Giants have played home at Tokyo Dome since 1988.

Table key + Key to symbols and terms in season tableWNumber of regular season winsLNumber of regular season lossesTNumber of regular season tiesGBGames behind from league's first-place teamROYRookie of the YearMVPMost Valuable PlayerESAEiji Sawamura AwardBNABest Nine AwardMSAMatsutaro Shoriki Award

Season-by-season records Japan Series Champions(1950–present) †Japanese Baseball League / Central League Pennant(1950–present)Central League Regular Season Champions(1950–present) ^Climax Series Berth(2007–present) ¤ SeasonLeagueFinishWinsLossesTiesWin%GBPlayoffsAwardsTokyo Giants / Tokyo Kyojin1936JBL2 5 0 .286 — —Autumn 1936 JBL1st18 9 0 .667 — Won Playoff (Tigers) 2–1 Spring 1937 JBL1st41 13 2 .759 — Eiji Sawamura (MVP)Autumn 1937 JBL2nd 30 18 0 .625 9 —Spring 1938 JBL2nd 24 11 0 .6865 —Autumn 1938JBL1st30 9 1 .769 —Haruyasu Nakajima (MVP)1939JBL1st66 26 4 .717 —Victor Starffin (MVP)1940JBL1st76 28 0 .731 —Victor Starffin (MVP)1941JBL1st 62 22 2 .738 —Tetsuharu Kawakami (MVP)1942JBL1st73 27 5 .730 —Shigeru Mizuhara (MVP)1943JBL1st54 27 3 .667 —Shosei Go (MVP)1944JBL2nd19 14 2 .576 8 —1945No league play because of World War II1946JBL2nd64 39 2 .621 1 —Yomiuri Giants1947JBL5th5659422.5 —1948JBL2nd83552.6015 —1949JBL1st85481.639 — 1950 Central3rd82 54 417.5 — 1951 Central1st79 29 6 .731 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–1Tetsuharu Kawakami (MVP)1952 Central1st83 37 0 .692 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2Takehiko Bessho (MVP)1953 Central1st87 37 1 .702 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2–11954 Central2nd82 47 1 .636 5.5 Takumi Otomo (MVP)1955 Central1st92 37 1 .713 — Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–3Tetsuharu Kawakami (MVP)1956 Central1st82 44 4 .646 — Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–2Takehiko Bessho (MVP)1957 Central 1st74 53 3 .581 — Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–0–1Wally Yonamine (MVP)1958 Central1st 77 52 1 .596 — Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–3Motoshi Fujita (MVP)1959 Central1st77 48 5 .612 — Lost Japan Series (Hawks) 4–0Motoshi Fujita (MVP)1960 Central3rd 66 61 3 .519 4.51961 Central 1st71 53 6 .569 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)1962 Central4th67 63 4 .515 8 1963 Central1st83 55 2.601 — Won Japan Series (Lions) 4–3Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)1964 Central3rd71 69 0 .507 11 Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1965 Central1st 91 47 2 .659 — Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1966 Central1st89 41 4 .685 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)1967 Central 1st84 46 4 .646 —Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–2Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1968 Central1st77 53 4 .592 —Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–2Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)1969 Central1st 73 51 6 .589 —Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–2Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1970 Central1st79 47 4 .627 —Won Japan Series (Orions) 4–1Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1971 Central1st70 528 .574 —Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–1Shigeo Nagashima (MVP)1972 Central1st74 52 4 .587 —Won Japan Series (Braves) 4–1Tsuneo Horiuchi (MVP)1973 Central1st 66 60 4.524 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–1Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1974 Central2nd71 50 9 .587 0Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1975 Central6th47 76 7 .382 27 1976 Central1st76 45 9 .628—Lost Japan Series (Braves) 4–3Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1977 Central1st80 46 4 .635 —Lost Japan Series (Braves) 4–1Sadaharu Oh (MVP)1978 Central2nd 65 49 16.5703 1979 Central5th 58 62 10 .483 10.51980 Central3rd 61 60 9 .504 14 1981 Central1st73 48 9 .603 —Won Japan Series (Fighters) 4–2Suguru Egawa (MVP)1982 Central2nd66 50 14 .569 0.51983 Central 1st 72 50 8 .590 —Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–3Tatsunori Hara (MVP)1984 Central 3rd67 54 9 .554 8.5 1985 Central 3rd61 60 9 .504 12 1986 Central2nd 75 48 7 .610 0 1987 Central 1st 76 43 11 .639 —Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–2Kazuhiro Yamakura (MVP)1988 Central2nd68 59 3 .53512 1989 Central 1st84 44 2 .656 —Won Japan Series (Buffaloes) 4–3Warren Cromartie (MVP)1990 Central1st88 42 0 .677 —Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–0Masaki Saito (MVP)1991 Central 4th66 64 0 .508 8 1992 Central2nd67 63 0 .515 2 1993 Central 3rd64 66 1 .492 161994 Central1st70 60 0 .538 — Won Japan Series (Lions) 4–2 Masumi Kuwata (MVP)1995 Central3rd 72 58 1 .554 101996 Central1st7753 0 .592 — Lost Japan Series (BlueWave) 4–1Hideki Matsui (MVP)1997 Central 4th63 72 0 .467 201998 Central3rd73 62 0 .54161999 Central2nd75 60 0 .556 62000 Central1st78 57 0 .578 —Won Japan Series (Hawks) 4–2Hideki Matsui (MVP)2001 Central2nd 75 63 2 .54332002 Central1st86 52 2 .623 —Won Japan Series (Lions) 4–0Hideki Matsui (MVP)2003 Central3rd71 66 3 .518 15.52004 Central3rd71 643 .526 82005 Central5th6280 4 .437 25.5 2006 Central4th65 79 2 .45123.52007 Central1st80 63 1 .559 — Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 3–0Michihiro Ogasawara (MVP)2008 Central1st84 57 3 .596 — Won Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 3–1Lost Japan Series (Lions) 4–3Alex Ramírez (MVP)2009 Central1st89 46 9 .659 —Won Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 4–1Won Japan Series (Fighters) 4–2Alex Ramírez (MVP)2010 Central3rd79 64 1 .552 1 Won Climax Series First Stage (Tigers) 2–0Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 1–42011 Central3rd71 62 11 .534 3.5 Lost Climax Series First Stage (Swallows) 2–12012 Central1st86 43 15 .667 — Won Climax Series Final Stage (Dragons) 4–3Won Japan Series (Fighters) 4–2Shinnosuke Abe (MVP)2013 Central1st84 53 7 .613 — Won Climax Series Final Stage (Carp) 4–0Lost Japan Series (Golden Eagles) 4–32014 Central1st82 61 1 .573 — Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Tigers) 4–1Tomoyuki Sugano (MVP)2015 Central2nd75 67 1 .528 1.5 Won Climax Series First Stage (Tigers) 2–1Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Swallows) 4–12016 Central2nd71 69 3 .50717.5 Lost Climax Series First Stage (BayStars) 2–12017 Central4th72 68 3 .514 16.5 2018 Central3rd67 71 5 .486 13.5 Won Climax Series First Stage (Swallows) 2–0Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Carp) 4–02019 Central1st77 64 2 .546 —Won Climax Series Final Stage (Tigers) 4–1Lost Japan Series (Hawks) 4–0Hayato Sakamoto (MVP)2020 Central1st67 45 8 .598 — Lost Japan Series (Hawks) 4–0Tomoyuki Sugano (MVP)2021 Central3rd61 62 20 .49611 Won Climax Series First Stage (Tigers) 2–0Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Swallows) 0–32022 Central4th68 72 3 .486 12.5 2023 Central4th71 70 2 .504 15.52024 Central1st7759 7 .566— Lost Climax Series Final Stage (Baystars) 4–3Tomoyuki Sugano (MVP)2025 Central3rd70 69 4 .504 15 Lost Climax Series First Stage (BayStars) 2–0

Notes This is determined by calculating the difference in wins plus the difference in losses divided by two. Records for the 1936 season are not complete. In the inaugural season, a Fall playoff between the top two teams, the Osaka Tigers and the Tokyo Kyojin, was played. The Kyojin won the series two games-to-one to be declared champions. For all but the first season of 1936, the JBL did not institute a playoff of any kind. The 1936, 1937, and 1938 seasons were the only seasons in its existence with first and second half champions. Excluding ties, the Chunichi Dragons prevailed to win the Central League pennant with a record of 70–49 (.5882) while the Giants had a record of 71–50 (.5867) Both the Giants and Chunichi Dragons were 69–60 before the 130th and final game of the season. In the 1994 Central League tie-breaker game, otherwise known as the "10.8 deciding match", the Giants won 6–3. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NPB saw both of their leagues modify their playoff format. The PL decided to modify the traditional Climax Series format and eliminate the First Stage series to instead play only one modified Final Stage series while the Central League sent the first place team directly to the Japan Series, which in this case was Yomiuri.

References