2026 NPB All-Star Game Starting Pitchers Announced
The starting pitchers for the 2026 MyNavi All-Star Series first game were announced on 27 July. The Central League will send Yakult Swallows’ Yamano Taiichi, while the Pacific League will start Nippon-Ham Fighters’ Itoh Hiromi. The first game is on 28 July at Tokyo Dome. The second game on 29 July at Toyama Citizen Stadium will support Noto Peninsula earthquake reconstruction.
The 2026 MyNavi All-Star Series first game will be held on 28 July at Tokyo Dome. On 27 July, the starting pitchers were announced: for the Central League, Yakult Swallows' Yamano Taiichi; for the Pacific League, Nippon-Ham Fighters' Itoh Hiromi.
From the Hanshin Tigers, who finished the first half of the Central League season tied for first place, seven players were selected, including Sato Teruaki, who leads the league in both batting average and RBIs, and Morishita Shota, who leads the league with 24 home runs. The Yomiuri Giants also had seven players selected, including Sakamoto Hayato. From the Pacific League-leading SoftBank Hawks, players such as Kurihara Reiya, who has hit 30 home runs, were chosen.
The Central League team will be managed by Hanshin's Fujikawa Kyuji, while the Pacific League team will be managed by SoftBank's Kokubo Hiroki. The all-time series record stands at 93 wins, 81 losses, and 11 draws in favor of the Pacific League.
The second game on 29 July will be held at Toyama Citizen Stadium as a support event for the reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula earthquake.