The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are a professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The Hawks play in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball. They began play in 1938 as the Nankai Club for the Japanese Baseball League that played in Osaka. They subsequently rebranded as the Kinki Nippon Club and Kinki Great Ring before playing the next 41 years as the Nankai Hawks, starting in 1947. They rebranded again to become the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 1989 with the purchase by department store chain Daiei, Inc, who moved the team to Fukuoka. In 2004, they became the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks after the sale to SoftBank Group on January 28, 2005.
Since the formation of NPB in 1950, in their 76 seasons, the franchise has won 12 Japan Series championships.
| Japan Series Champions (1950–present) † | Japanese Baseball League / Pacific League Pennant (1938/1950–present) | Pacific League Regular Season Champions (1950–present) ^ | Climax Series Berth (2004–present) ¤ |
| Season | League | Regular season | Postseason | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win% | GB | ||||
| Nankai Baseball Club | |||||||||
| 1938 fall | JBL | 8th | 11 | 26 | 3 | .297 | 18 | ||
| 1939 | JBL | 5th | 40 | 50 | 6 | .444 | 25 | ||
| 1940 | JBL | 8th | 28 | 71 | 6 | .283 | 45.5 | ||
| 1941 | JBL | 4th | 43 | 41 | 0 | .512 | 19 | ||
| 1942 | JBL | 6th | 49 | 56 | 0 | .467 | 26.5 | ||
| 1943 | JBL | 8th | 26 | 56 | 2 | .317 | 28.5 | ||
| 1944 | JBL | 6th | 11 | 23 | 1 | .324 | 16.5 | ||
| Great Ring | |||||||||
| 1946 | JBL | 1st | 65 | 38 | 2 | .631 | — | JBL Champions | Kazuto Tsuruoka (MVP) |
| Nankai Hawks | |||||||||
| 1947 | JBL | 3rd | 59 | 55 | 5 | .518 | 19 | ||
| 1948 | JBL | 1st | 87 | 49 | 4 | .640 | — | JBL Champions | Kazuto Tsuruoka (MVP) |
| 1949 | JBL | 4th | 67 | 67 | 1 | .500 | 18.5 | ||
| 1950 | Pacific | 2nd | 66 | 49 | 5 | .574 | 15 | ||
| 1951 | Pacific | 1st | 72 | 24 | 8 | .750 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–1 | Kazuto Yamamoto (PL MVP) Kazuo Kageyama (PL ROY) |
| 1952 | Pacific | 1st | 76 | 44 | 1 | .633 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–2 | Susumu Yuki (PL MVP) |
| 1953 | Pacific | 1st | 71 | 48 | 1 | .597 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–2–1 | Isami Okamoto (PL MVP) |
| 1954 | Pacific | 2nd | 91 | 49 | 0 | .650 | 0.5 | Motoji Takuwa (PL ROY) | |
| 1955 | Pacific | 1st | 99 | 41 | 3 | .707 | — | Lost in Japan Series (Giants) 4–3 | Tokuji Iida (PL MVP) |
| 1956 | Pacific | 2nd | 96 | 52 | 6 | .643 | 0.5 | ||
| 1957 | Pacific | 2nd | 78 | 53 | 1 | .595 | 7 | Tamotsu Kimura (PL ROY) | |
| 1958 | Pacific | 2nd | 77 | 48 | 5 | .612 | 1 | Tadashi Sugiura (PL ROY) | |
| 1959 | Pacific | 1st | 88 | 42 | 4 | .677 | — | Won Japan Series (Giants) 4–0 | Tadashi Sugiura (PL MVP) |
| 1960 | Pacific | 2nd | 78 | 52 | 6 | .600 | 4 | ||
| 1961 | Pacific | 1st | 85 | 49 | 6 | .629 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–2 | Katsuya Nomura (PL MVP) |
| 1962 | Pacific | 2nd | 73 | 57 | 3 | .562 | 5 | ||
| 1963 | Pacific | 2nd | 85 | 61 | 4 | .582 | 1 | Katsuya Nomura (PL MVP) | |
| 1964 | Pacific | 1st | 84 | 63 | 3 | .571 | — | Won Japan Series (Tigers) 4–3 | Joe Stanka (PL MVP) |
| 1965 | Pacific | 1st | 88 | 49 | 3 | .642 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–1 | Katsuya Nomura (PL MVP) |
| 1966 | Pacific | 1st | 79 | 51 | 3 | .608 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–2 | Katsuya Nomura (PL MVP) |
| 1967 | Pacific | 4th | 64 | 66 | 3 | .492 | 11 | ||
| 1968 | Pacific | 2nd | 79 | 51 | 6 | .608 | 1 | ||
| 1969 | Pacific | 6th | 50 | 76 | 4 | .397 | 26 | ||
| 1970 | Pacific | 2nd | 69 | 57 | 4 | .548 | 10.5 | Michio Sato (PL ROY) | |
| 1971 | Pacific | 4th | 61 | 65 | 4 | .484 | 22.5 | ||
| 1972 | Pacific | 3rd | 65 | 61 | 4 | .516 | 14 | ||
| 1973 | Pacific | 1st | 68 | 58 | 4 | .540 | 1st/3rd | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–1 | Katsuya Nomura (PL MVP) |
| 1974 | Pacific | 3rd | 59 | 55 | 16 | .518 | 4th/2nd | ||
| 1975 | Pacific | 5th | 57 | 65 | 8 | .467 | 5th/3rd | ||
| 1976 | Pacific | 2nd | 71 | 56 | 3 | .559 | 2nd/2nd | Manabu Fujita (PL ROY) | |
| 1977 | Pacific | 2nd | 63 | 55 | 12 | .534 | 2nd/3rd | ||
| 1978 | Pacific | 6th | 42 | 77 | 11 | .353 | 6th/6th | Yukihiro Murakami (PL ROY) | |
| 1979 | Pacific | 5th | 46 | 73 | 11 | .387 | 5th/6th | ||
| 1980 | Pacific | 6th | 48 | 77 | 5 | .384 | 5th/6th | ||
| 1981 | Pacific | 5th | 53 | 65 | 12 | .449 | 5th/6th | ||
| 1982 | Pacific | 6th | 53 | 71 | 6 | .427 | 5th/6th | ||
| 1983 | Pacific | 5th | 52 | 69 | 9 | .430 | 31.5 | ||
| 1984 | Pacific | 5th | 53 | 65 | 12 | .449 | 21 | ||
| 1985 | Pacific | 6th | 44 | 76 | 10 | .367 | 33 | ||
| 1986 | Pacific | 6th | 49 | 73 | 8 | .402 | 21.5 | ||
| 1987 | Pacific | 4th | 57 | 63 | 10 | .475 | 16 | ||
| 1988 | Pacific | 5th | 58 | 71 | 1 | .450 | 17.5 | Hiromitsu Kadota (PL MVP) | |
| Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |||||||||
| 1989 | Pacific | 4th | 59 | 64 | 7 | .480 | 11 | ||
| 1990 | Pacific | 6th | 41 | 85 | 4 | .325 | 40 | ||
| 1991 | Pacific | 5th | 53 | 73 | 4 | .421 | 29 | ||
| 1992 | Pacific | 4th | 57 | 72 | 1 | .442 | 24 | ||
| 1993 | Pacific | 6th | 45 | 80 | 5 | .360 | 28 | ||
| 1994 | Pacific | 4th | 69 | 60 | 1 | .535 | 7.5 | Hidekazu Watanabe (PL ROY) | |
| 1995 | Pacific | 5th | 54 | 72 | 4 | .429 | 26.5 | ||
| 1996 | Pacific | 6th | 54 | 74 | 2 | .422 | 22 | ||
| 1997 | Pacific | 4th | 63 | 71 | 1 | .470 | 14 | ||
| 1998 | Pacific | 3rd | 67 | 67 | 1 | .500 | 4.5 | ||
| 1999 | Pacific | 1st | 78 | 54 | 3 | .591 | — | Won Japan Series (Dragons) 4–1 | Kimiyasu Kudoh (PL MVP) |
| 2000 | Pacific | 1st | 73 | 60 | 2 | .549 | — | Lost Japan Series (Giants) 4–2 | Nobuhiko Matsunaka (PL MVP) |
| 2001 | Pacific | 2nd | 76 | 63 | 1 | .547 | 2.5 | ||
| 2002 | Pacific | 2nd | 73 | 65 | 2 | .529 | 16.5 | ||
| 2003 | Pacific | 1st | 82 | 55 | 3 | .599 | — | Won Japan Series (Tigers) 4–3 | Kenji Johjima (PL MVP) Tsuyoshi Wada (PL ROY) Kazumi Saito (Sawamura) |
| 2004 | Pacific | 1st | 77 | 52 | 5 | .597 | — | Lost PL Playoffs Second Stage (Lions) 3–2 | Nobuhiko Matsunaka (PL MVP) Koji Mise (PL ROY) |
| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | |||||||||
| 2005 | Pacific | 1st | 89 | 45 | 2 | .664 | — | Lost PL Playoffs Second Stage (Marines) 3–2 | Toshiya Sugiuchi (PL MVP, Sawamura) |
| 2006 | Pacific | 3rd | 75 | 56 | 5 | .573 | 4.5 | Won PL Playoffs First Stage (Lions) 2–1 Lost PL Playoffs Second Stage (Fighters) 2–0 | Kazumi Saito (Sawamura) |
| 2007 | Pacific | 3rd | 73 | 66 | 5 | .525 | 6 | Lost Climax Series First Stage (Marines) 2–1 | |
| 2008 | Pacific | 6th | 64 | 77 | 3 | .454 | 12.5 | ||
| 2009 | Pacific | 3rd | 74 | 65 | 5 | .532 | 6.5 | Lost in CS 1st Stage (Eagles) 2–0 | Tadashi Settsu (PL ROY) |
| 2010 | Pacific | 1st | 76 | 63 | 5 | .547 | — | Lost in CS Final Stage (Marines) 4–3 | Tsuyoshi Wada (PL MVP) |
| 2011 | Pacific | 1st | 88 | 46 | 10 | .657 | — | Won Japan Series (Dragons) 4–3 | Seiichi Uchikawa (PL MVP) |
| 2012 | Pacific | 3rd | 67 | 65 | 12 | .508 | 6.5 | Lost in CS Final Stage (Fighters) 4–0 | Tadashi Settsu (Sawamura) |
| 2013 | Pacific | 4th | 73 | 69 | 2 | .514 | 9.5 | ||
| 2014 | Pacific | 1st | 78 | 60 | 6 | .565 | — | Won Japan Series (Tigers) 4–1 | |
| 2015 | Pacific | 1st | 90 | 49 | 4 | .647 | — | Won Japan Series (Swallows) 4–1 | Yuki Yanagita (PL MVP) |
| 2016 | Pacific | 2nd | 83 | 54 | 6 | .606 | 2.5 | Lost in CS Final Stage (Fighters) 4–2 | |
| 2017 | Pacific | 1st | 94 | 49 | 0 | .657 | — | Won Japan Series (BayStars) 4–2 | Dennis Sarfate (PL MVP) |
| 2018 | Pacific | 2nd | 82 | 60 | 1 | .577 | 6.5 | Won Japan Series (Carp) 4–1–1 | |
| 2019 | Pacific | 2nd | 76 | 62 | 5 | .551 | 2.0 | Won Japan Series (Giants) 4–0 | |
| 2020 | Pacific | 1st | 73 | 42 | 5 | .635 | — | Won Japan Series (Giants) 4–0 | Yuki Yanagita (PL MVP) |
| 2021 | Pacific | 4th | 60 | 62 | 21 | .492 | 8.5 | ||
| 2022 | Pacific | 2nd | 76 | 65 | 2 | .539 | 0 | Lost in CS Final Stage (Buffaloes) 4–1 | |
| 2023 | Pacific | 3rd | 71 | 69 | 3 | .507 | 15.5 | Lost in CS First Stage (Marines) 2–1 | |
| 2024 | Pacific | 1st | 91 | 49 | 3 | .650 | — | Lost Japan Series (BayStars) 4–2 | Kensuke Kondoh (PL MVP) |
| 2025 | Pacific | 1st | 87 | 52 | 4 | .626 | — | Won Japan Series (Tigers) 4–1 | |