NPB
Sports abbreviation · Sports League and Organization
| Stands for | Nippon Professional Baseball |
|---|---|
| Categories | Sports |
NPB stands for Nippon Professional Baseball, a sports league and organization abbreviation.
Japan's top professional baseball organization, with 12 teams split into the Central League and the Pacific League. The champions meet in the Japan Series each autumn, and the level of play is generally considered the strongest outside MLB.
Example: Before joining the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani won the 2016 Pacific League MVP award in NPB.
Usage notes
The two-league system dates from 1950, succeeding the Japanese Baseball League founded in 1936. The Pacific League adopted the designated hitter in 1975, and the Central League announced in 2025 that it would follow from 2027. Players reach MLB through the posting system, the route used by Ichiro Suzuki, Yu Darvish and Ohtani.
Related abbreviations
More sports league and organization abbreviations
- NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NFL – National Football League
- NFLPA – National Football League Players Association
- NHL – National Hockey League
- NHRA – National Hot Rod Association
- NIL – Name, image and likeness
- NRL – National Rugby League
- NWSL – National Women's Soccer League
- Pac-12 – Pacific-12 Conference
- PBA – Philippine Basketball Association
- PBR – Professional Bull Riders
- PFL – Professional Fighters League