| 1996 NPB season | |
|---|---|
| League | Nippon Professional Baseball |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP | CL: Hideki Matsui (YOM) PL: Ichiro Suzuki (ORI) |
| League Postseason | |
| CL champions | Yomiuri Giants |
| CL runners-up | Chunichi Dragons |
| PL champions | Orix BlueWave |
| PL runners-up | Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| Japan Series | |
| Champions | Orix BlueWave |
| Runners-up | Yomiuri Giants |
| Finals MVP | Troy Neel (ORI) |
The 1996 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 47th season of operation for the league.
| Central League [1] | G | W | L | T | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yomiuri Giants | 130 | 77 | 53 | 0 | .592 | -- |
| Chunichi Dragons | 130 | 72 | 58 | 0 | .554 | 5.0 |
| Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 130 | 71 | 59 | 0 | .546 | 6.0 |
| Yakult Swallows | 130 | 61 | 69 | 0 | .469 | 16.0 |
| Yokohama BayStars | 130 | 55 | 75 | 0 | .423 | 22.0 |
| Hanshin Tigers | 130 | 54 | 76 | 0 | .415 | 23.0 |
| Pacific League [2] | G | W | L | T | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orix BlueWave | 130 | 74 | 50 | 6 | .597 | -- |
| Nippon-Ham Fighters | 130 | 68 | 58 | 4 | .540 | 7.0 |
| Seibu Lions | 130 | 62 | 64 | 4 | .492 | 13.0 |
| Kintetsu Buffaloes | 130 | 62 | 67 | 1 | .481 | 14.5 |
| Chiba Lotte Marines | 130 | 60 | 67 | 3 | .472 | 15.5 |
| Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | 130 | 54 | 74 | 2 | .422 | 22.0 |
PL Orix BlueWave (4) vs. CL Yomiuri Giants (1)
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 19 | Orix BlueWave – 4, Yomiuri Giants – 3 | Tokyo Dome | 3:42 | 45,121 [3] |
| 2 | October 20 | Orix BlueWave – 2, Yomiuri Giants – 0 | Tokyo Dome | 2:56 | 45,086 [3] |
| 3 | October 22 | Yomiuri Giants – 2, Orix BlueWave – 5 | Green Stadium Kobe | 2:56 | 33,026 [3] |
| 4 | October 23 | Yomiuri Giants – 5, Orix BlueWave – 1 | Green Stadium Kobe | 3:25 | 33,070 [3] |
| 5 | October 24 | Yomiuri Giants – 2, Orix BlueWave – 5 | Green Stadium Kobe | 3:26 | 33,222 [3] |
The 2002 Nippon Professional Baseball season ended with the Yomiuri Giants defeating the Seibu Lions in the 2002 Japan Series 4 games to 0.
The 2000 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 51st season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950.
The 1999 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 50th season of operation for the league.
The 1998 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 49th season of operation for the league.
The 1997 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 48th season of operation for the league.
The 1995 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 46th season of operation for the league.
The 1994 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 45th season of operation for the league. The Central League championship was decided by the final game of the year between the Chunichi Dragons and the Yomiuri Giants.
The 1993 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 44th season of operation for the league.
The 1992 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 43rd season of operation for the league.
The 1990 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 41st season of operation for the league.
The 1989 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 40th season of operation for the league.
The 1988 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 39th season of operation for the league.
The 1986 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 37th season of operation for the league.
The 1985 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 36th season of operation for the league.
The 1984 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 35th season of operation for the league.
The 1983 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 34th season of operation for the league.
The 1981 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 32nd season of operation for the league.
The 1978 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 29th season of operation for the league.
The 1977 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 28th season of operation for the league.
The 1976 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 27th season of operation for the league.