SoftBank sweeps the Japan Series after four hard-earned wins
A sweep without an easy night: SoftBank rallied past DeNA 4–2 in Game 4 to secure its second straight title and 13th overall.
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Baseball · NPB · Outfielder
Keita Sano
2026 Season performance
Sano’s 129 games in 2026 produced a .262 average, 123 hits, eight homers and 55 RBI. His 32 doubles and .337 OBP show value beyond home runs. Connecting those on-base and extra-base contributions more consistently is an appealing next step for DeNA’s offense.
Updated 2026-11-10Career background
Sano came through Koryo High School and Meiji University before DeNA selected him in the ninth round in 2016. He reached the first team in 2017, initially with limited playing time. A .295 average in 2019 preceded a substantial step in 2020, when he hit .328 with twenty homers and 69 RBI in 106 games.
He played all 143 games in 2021 and followed with 22 homers and a .306 average in 2022. Those consecutive productive seasons established his lineup position. From occasional plate appearances in his first two years to several successive seasons exceeding 130 games, the ninth-round left-handed hitter became a regular contributor to DeNA’s offense.
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