What you need to know ahead of NPB interleague play resuming
This week's slate of NPB games marks the start of the 20th edition of interleague play in Japan.
Japanese baseball introduced interleague competition in 2005, giving fans a chance to see Central and Pacific League teams compete outside of the annual Japan Series matchup. It happens during a set period each year — June 3 to 22 this season — and the team with the best record is crowned champion at the end.
While the format has gone through a few iterations since 2005 (and was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) the one constant has been Pa League dominance.
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