To say the Yokohama DeNA BayStars are underdogs against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Japan Series would be putting it mildly.

The Hawks were the best team in baseball in 2024. The BayStars scratched and clawed their way into the playoffs. On paper, SoftBank wins the tale of the tape by such a wide margin, the series looks like a potential sweep.

Fortunately for the BayStars and their fans, championships are not decided on paper. Yokohama faced equally long odds against the Yomiuri Giants in the final stage of the Central League Climax Series, and yet Daisuke Miura’s team was the one celebrating at Tokyo Dome after Game 6.