1968 Nippon Professional Baseball season

This article is about the 1968 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1968 in baseball.

1968 NPB season
League	Nippon Professional Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Central League pennant
League champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Hanshin Tigers
Season MVP	Shigeo Nagashima (YOM)
Pacific League pennant
League champions	Hankyu Braves
Runners-up	Nankai Hawks
Season MVP	Tetsuya Yoneda (HAN)
Japan Series
Champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Hankyu Braves
Finals MVP	Shigeru Takada (YOM)

The 1968 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 19th season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Regular season

Standings

Central League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Yomiuri Giants	134	77	53	4	.592	—
Hanshin Tigers	133	72	58	3	.554	5.0
Hiroshima Toyo Carp	134	68	62	4	.523	9.0
Sankei Atoms	134	64	66	4	.492	13.0
Taiyo Whales	133	59	71	3	.454	18.0
Chunichi Dragons	134	50	80	4	.385	27.0

Pacific League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Hankyu Braves	134	80	50	4	.615	—
Nankai Hawks	136	79	51	6	.608	1.0
Tokyo Orions	139	67	63	9	.515	13.0
Kintetsu Buffaloes	135	57	73	5	.438	23.0
Nishitetsu Lions	133	56	74	3	.431	24.0
Toei Flyers	135	51	79	5	.392	29.0

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders

Stat	Player	Team	Total
Batting average	Sadaharu Oh	Yomiuri	.326
Home runs	Sadaharu Oh	Yomiuri	49
Runs batted in	Shigeo Nagashima	Yomiuri	125
Runs	Sadaharu Oh	Yomiuri	107
Hits	Shigeo Nagashima	Yomiuri	157
Stolen bases	Takeshi Koba	Hiroshima	39

Pitching leaders

Stat	Player	Team	Total
Wins	Yutaka Enatsu	Hanshin	25
Losses	Kentaro Ogawa	Chunichi	20
Earned run average	Yoshiro Sotokoba	Hiroshima	1.94
Strikeouts	Yutaka Enatsu	Hanshin	401
Innings pitched	Yutaka Enatsu	Hanshin	329

Pacific League

Batting leaders

Stat	Player	Team	Total
Batting average	Isao Harimoto	Toei	.336
Home runs	Katsuya Nomura	Nankai	38
Runs batted in	George Altman	Tokyo	100
Runs	George Altman	Tokyo	84
Hits	George Altman	Tokyo	170
Stolen bases	Toshinori Yasui	Kintetsu	54

Pitching leaders

Stat	Player	Team	Total
Wins	Mutsuo Minagawa	Nankai	31
Losses	Toshiaki Moriyasu	Toei	23
Earned run average	Mutsuo Minagawa	Nankai	1.61
Strikeouts	Keishi Suzuki	Kintetsu	305
Innings pitched	Keishi Suzuki	Kintetsu	359

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Shigeo Nagashima, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • Tetsuya Yoneda, Hankyu Braves (PL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Shigeru Takada, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • No PL recipient
• Eiji Sawamura Award
  • Yutaka Enatsu, Hanshin Tigers (CL)

Central League Best Nine Award winners

Position	Player	Team
Pitcher	Yutaka Enatsu	Hanshin
Catcher	Masahiko Mori	Yomiuri
First baseman	Sadaharu Oh	Yomiuri
Second baseman	Shozo Doi	Yomiuri
Third baseman	Shigeo Nagashima	Yomiuri
Shortstop	Yukinobu Kuroe	Yomiuri
Outfielder	Dave Roberts	Sankei
	Kazuhiro Yamauchi	Yomiuri
	Shinichi Eto	Chunichi

Pacific League Best Nine Award winners

Position	Player	Team
Pitcher	Mutsuo Minagawa	Nankai
Catcher	Katsuya Nomura	Nankai
First baseman	Kihachi Enomoto	Tokyo
Second baseman	Don Blasingame	Nankai
Third baseman	Yasunori Kunisada	Nankai
Shortstop	Toshizo Sakamoto	Hankyu
Outfielder	George Altman	Tokyo
	Masahiro Doi	Kintetsu
	Isao Harimoto	Toei

See also

• 1968 Major League Baseball season

References

• Johnson, Daniel E. (July 2006). Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-2841-0.