1. Yomiuri Giants

Although they signed only one free agent in the offseason, southpaw and former nemesis Shugo Fujii, the three-time defending Central League champs did anything but stand pat.

With lefty Hisanori Takahashi abandoning Japan for the majors as a free agent, manager Tatsunori Hara worked over the offseason to convert successful middle reliever Tetsuya Yamaguchi into a starter.

Fujii, who earned a reputation as a Giant killer in his days with the Yakult Swallows, returns to the Central League after two seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, with whom he revived his career somewhat by going 7-5 last season.

The Giants are loaded at every position except second base, where they imported former Padre Edgar Gonzalez. The competition at first base and in the outfield will be severe. Outfielder and former shortstop Yasuyuki Kamei took to first base last season when Lee Seung Yeop flopped and Yoshitomo Tani got healthy. Outfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi returns this year to an outfield even more crowded with the arrival of first-round draft pick Hisayoshi Chono.

The Giants continued to collect former PL closers over the winter with the acquisition of right-hander Masahide Kobayashi, who led the PL in saves with the Marines in 2005. He joins Micheal Nakamura (Fighters 2006) and Kiyoshi Toyoda (Lions 2002). The closer remains Marc Kroon, who was unsigned by the BayStars after the 2007 season.

The Giants led the CL in both runs scored (650) and fewest runs allowed (493). In a reflection of manager Hara's talent for developing young players, the Giants stole 84 bases last season, the team's highest total in 23 seasons.

2. Chunichi Dragons

The Dragons should continue to be an offensive powerhouse, with their strength largely masked by playing in the best pitchers' park in Japan.

First baseman Tony Blanco led the CL in home runs because he hits the ball so far that Nagoya Dome handicaps him only slightly. He hit 16 of his 39 home runs in Nagoya but his teammates accounted for just 29 in 1,915 at-bats in their big dome. Left fielder Kazuhiro Wada, who at 36 had his best season in years, hit 13 of his 29 homers in Nagoya.

When the Dragons get out of town, the offensive levels ratchet up. They scored a Japan-high 338 runs on the road last season and still managed to finish second in the league in homers with 136.

Masahiko Morino was the Dragons' most effective hitter in 2009, mainly because of his patience (75 walks) and doubles (a league-best 42).

Chunichi will need some its young players such as Kei Nomoto and Yusuke Matsui or import Dionys Cesar to be consistent producers if they plan on making the postseason.

The Dragons are sound defensively up the middle, with a double-play combination that has won six straight Golden Gloves: Hirokazu Ibata at shortstop and Masahiro Araki at second. Morino at third and Blanco at first combined for a stunning 42 errors last year.

Morino's Japan-high 25 errors in '09 were the most by a third baseman in the past 25 years, and his .934 fielding percentage was the fourth worst in the past 20 seasons.

The Dragons have last year's CL ERA leader in southpaw Chen Wei-yin and right-hander Kazuki Yoshimi, who tied for the CL lead in wins, but will likely experience a dropoff in starting pitching if Daisuke Yamai and second-year righty Junki Ito are asked to fill a spot in the rotation.

Hitoki Iwase remains one of the best at the back of the bullpen, but set-up man Takuya Asao had a shaky spring and some unproven youngsters might be asked to step up.

Veteran catcher Motonobu Tanishige, who hit a meager .208 in 115 games, enters his 22nd season and might see less action behind the plate if he isn't productive at the plate.

The X factor is skipper Hiromitsu Ochiai, who always seems to get production from a team without a superstar.

3. Hanshin Tigers

The Tigers didn't change much in the offseason, but key acquisitions can make a huge impact.

The Tigers look to Matt Murton to replace the retired Norihiro Akahoshi in center, and hurlers Casey Fossum and Randy Messenger to impact a staff that had the third-best team ERA in the CL. An awful start to '09 cost the Tigers, whose late-season charge fell short of a playoff spot.

Tomoaki Kanemoto showed signs of age last season with his lowest RBI total since 2002. His 21 longballs were the fewest for the 42-year-old since 2003, when he joined the Tigers. Improved starting pitching and a strong bullpen can help the Tigers get back to the postseason.

4. Tokyo Yakult Swallows

The Swallows shouldn't expect to reach the playoffs for the second straight year unless they can top last year's 71-72 record.

Right-hander Shohei Tateyama, who got red-hot from the second half of the 2008 season, won his first eight decisions last year before finishing 16-6 and tying for the league lead in wins. The starting staff has other positives in 2008 CL ERA leader Masanori Ishikawa and 20-year-old righty Yoshinori Sato, but the starters' combined 4.10 ERA leaves lots of room for improvement. The club's best pitcher last season was South Korean closer Lim Chang Yong.

Center fielder Norichika Aoki remains the club's best player but failed to set a career high in any offensive category for the first time in his career. Kazuki Fukuchi , still running at 34, led the CL with 42 stolen bases for the second straight season.

5. Yokohama BayStars

The BayStars, who managed to finish last in scoring among Japan's 12 teams despite playing in the country's best hitters' park, backed up the truck and dumped five players and releaed 11 others.

Seiichi Uchikawa finished second in the batting race to Yomiuri's Alex Ramirez and remains a quality hitter, as does third baseman Shuichi Murata. Yokohama picked up Terrmel Sledge, who contract was not renewed by Nippon Ham, and free agent catcher Tasuku Hashimoto, who gives the pitchers--led by superlative ace Daisuke Miura--a better chance of staying in games on a daily basis.

6. Hiroshima Carp

The move to big Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima allowed the young Carp to turn on the jets and lead Japan with 32 triples last season, but that was the extent of their offensive highlights.

New manager Kenjiro Nomura has a large hill to climb but some talented young players to work with. Third baseman and cleanup hitter Kenta Kurihara, who moves from first base, has a superb glove and managed to maintain his home run production--but at a cost of 50 points in batting average. Outfielder Soichiro Amaya is superb player who will be a star if he can put injury issues in the past.

Japan international Yoshiyuki Ishihara is solid behind the plate, while the pitching staff led by starters Kan Otake and Kenta Maeda could easily take a step forward.

1. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

The Hawks had Japan's third-youngest pitching staff last season and the fourth-youngest lineup, and Fukuoka's next generation is easily capable of developing into champions this season.

Because of his bat, 30-year-old Hidenori Tanoue ranked third among Japan's catchers last year, but does not bring good defense to the plate. First baseman Hiroki Kokubo is still going strong but will turn 39 in October.

Second baseman Yuichi Honda and shortstop Munenori Kawasaki excel at both offense and defense. Third base is the biggest hole and 27-year-old Nobuhiro Matsuda failed to rise to the challenge last year. The team turned to South Korea international Lee Bum Ho. Lee is a good hitter, but he is leaving a good hitters' park and transitioning to a new league.

The outfield led by 25-year-old center fielder Yuya Hasegawa is excellent, especially the 10 times or so when Nobuhiko Matsunaka and Hitoshi Tamura both manage to be healthy on the same day. Jose Ortiz was a super pickup last spring after the Marines' front office threw him overboard and he wound up back in the Mexican League.

The Hawks' bullpen was best in the PL last year with a 3.32 ERA and a 24-11 record. Tadashi Settsu worked a league-high 70 games as a 27-year-old, led the PL in holds with 34 and won rookie-of-the-year honors. Brian Falkenborg was second with 23 holds, while going 4-0 to support a solid--but unspectacular--year from closer Takahiro Mahara (4-3, 29 saves).

Long the strength, the starting pitching, which went 50-54 last season, has now been surpassed by the rotations of the Fighters, the Eagles and the Lions.

Southpaw Toshiya Sugiuchi remains one of Japan's premier pitchers. He has led the PL in strikeouts for two straight seasons, and his .750 winning percentage tied him for the league lead. D.J. Houlton is coming off a strong season, while lefty Tsuyoshi Wada appears healthy after a miserable season that saw him pitch just 84-1/3 innings. The Hawks' two biggest hurlers out of the draft in past seasons, Kenji Otonari and Shota Oba, have yet to find their feet in the PL.

2. Saitama Seibu Lions

After winning it all behind a 2008 offensive explosion, the Lions scored 51 fewer runs last season and failed to make the playoffs.

Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and third baseman Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura kept motoring along like nobody's business, but the supporting cast just wasn't there last summer. After jettisoning first baseman Craig Brazell, who wound up with the Tigers, manager Hisanobu Watanabe made little use of outfielder Hiram Bocachica. Disappointing seasons from outfielder G.G. Sato and second baseman Yasuyuki Kataoka sealed Seibu's second-division finish.

Nakajima, the PL's best shortstop, led the league in on-base percentage for the second straight season and was the first player in two seasons to score 100 runs.

Nakamura, who topped the PL in home runs for the second straight season, led the nation with 48 homers and 122 RBIs. Kataoka set career highs with 32 doubles, 13 homers and 51 steals, a category in which he has led the PL since 2007.

New outfielder Dee Brown is 32 and should help although he didn't have any kind of monster year last season at Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Lions' starting pitching was good enough behind Sawamura Award winner Hideaki Wakui, who led the league in complete games (11), shutouts (four), wins (16) and innings pitched (211).

The bullpen suffered from an injury to closer Alex Graman. Chikara Onodera filled in with 16 saves and Taiyo Fujita added three more after a mid-season trade with the Tigers. Brian Sikorski, who saved 15 games with the Marines last season and was still released, made Seibu his fourth Japanese team after two stints with Lotte and one each with the Giants and Swallows.

3. Rakuten Golden Eagles

The Eagles were the surprise second-place finisher last season behind the best starting pitching in the league.

One indicator of future success is a team's record after July, and the Eagles' 38-21 mark was second best in Japan. They'll need the upside because their 2009 lineup was Japan's second oldest.

Center fielder Teppei Tsuchiya, whom the Eagles picked up for a song, was the PL's best outfielder in 2009 when he led the league with 13 triples and a .327 average.

No pitcher was better last year than Masahiro Tanaka, now 21. Hisashi Iwakuma, whose arm was badly abused as a youngster, could be much better than last year's 13-6 mark--or he could be hurt and next to useless.

4. Nippon Ham Fighters

Pitching and defense being the key, the Fighters--behind ace Yu Darvish--will be in the thick of things all year.

Makoto Kaneko, who had a career year at the plate in 2009, leads a team-record seven Golden Glove winners returning from last season.

Nippon Ham lacks some pop in its lineup, but experience might help the club improve on the best team ERA in the PL last season. Former pitcher Yoshio Itoi's emergence as an offensive threat helped the Fighters score a Japan-best 689 runs last year. Sho Nakata starts the season on the first team after hitting 30 homers in the Eastern League. Although he has a cannon for an arm, he's no fielder, and the Fighters as an organization have shown little patience with nonfielders.

5. Orix Buffaloes

The Buffaloes last season were stopped before they got started--with problems on the mound from beginning to end. Injuries and mediocre pitching took them out of the race early, and Orix finished last for the fifth time since 2002.

Former Hanshin skipper Akinobu Okada takes over a squad with adequate speed and power. Orix, however, has to cut down on 2009's Japan-high 715 runs allowed.

Tuffy Rhodes, who hit 22 homers in 84 games last year, is gone but Alex Cabrera and Greg LaRocca can generate some runs if leadoff man Tomotaka Sakaguchi continues to set the table.

The Buffaloes also take the field this season while mourning the sudden loss of outfielder Hiroyuki Oze, who was found dead of a suspected suicide the first week of spring camp.

6. Chiba Lotte Marines

The bullpen issues that dogged the Marines last season are not solved, but new rookie skipper Norifumi Nishimura plans to send Hiroyuki Kobayashi to the back of the pen in hopes of avoiding late-inning collapses.

Despite putting up 620 runs, third best in the PL last season, the 2009 campaign was a disaster in which the defense and starting pitching both broke down.

South Korean bopper Kim Tae Kyun figures to add punch to the lineup, and he has a chance of being the big offensive star Lotte has not had since moving to Chiba in 1992.

1. Saitama Seibu Lions

Manager: Hisanobu Watanabe

Last season: 70-70-4 (Fourth)

The Seibu Lions faltered last year but Takeya Nakamura's 48 homers kept them in the thick of the playoff hunt. Nakamura and the Lions are looking for a trip to the Japan Series after finishing outside of the top three in the last season.

The last time the Lions finished outside the top three they bounced back by winning the Japan Series the next year. Manager Hisanobu Watanabe's squad will be looking for a repeat performance this season.

The Lions will continue to roar at the plate as long as Takeya Nakamura, who has 94 homers over the past two years, keeps slugging away. Provided he recovers from injuries sustained to his face over the spring.

Seibu's best all-around player Hiroyuki Nakajima (.309, 21 homers and 92 RBIs last season) and G.G. Sato (.291, 25, 83) also figure to play a large role in trying to lift the 2008 Japan Series champs back to the top of the PL mountain.

The team also has dependable hitters in Takumi Kuriyama (.267, 12, 57) and the sparingly used Yoshihito Ishii and Taketoshi Goto.

Leadoff man Yasuyuki Kataoka led Japanese baseball with 51 stolen bases and improving on a .260 average and .309 on-base percentage would only help create more run-scoring opportunities for an already formidable lineup.

The top of the rotation is strong with reigning Sawamura Award winner Hideaki Wakui (16-6, 2.30 ERA) and Takayuki Kishi (13-5, 3.26 ERA) leading the way. The Lions will also lean on Kazuyuki Hoashi to produce a few quality starts.

Veteran Kazuhisa Ishii is nearing the end of the line but still has something left in the tank, while golden oldie Fumiya Nishiguchi will vie to remain a piece of the puzzle.

All eyes will be on pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (when he makes it to the top team), the Lions' most celebrated rookie since Daisuke Matsuzaka, but having Wakui, Kishi and veteran Kimyasu Kudo, will ease the transition.

Seibu strengthened the back of the bullpen by acquiring Brian Sikorski, who can step in as a closer or setup man, and are expecting Alex Graman back sometime during the first half of the season.

Keep an eye on: Yusei Kikuchi. After turning down the majors, Kikuchi steps into Daisuke Matsuzaka's shadow as a high-schooler shouldering huge expectations.

2. Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters

Manager: Masataka Nashida

Last season: 82-60-2 (First)

Yu Darvish's injury woes put the Fighters in a pinch late last year, a struggle the team hopes to avoid repeating as it vies for a fourth PL pennant in five years.

Darvish is Japan's top pitcher and a 15-5, 1.73 ERA season capped by a heroic turn in Game 2 of the Japan Series helped hammer the point home.

The already power-starved Fighters lost some pop when Terrmel Sledge signed with the Yokohama BayStars over the winter.

Manager Masataka Nashida may now have to count on the mercurial Sho Nakata to help pick up some of the slack alongside reliable veteran Atsunori Inaba.

The Fighters' offense thrived despite a relative lack of power outside of Sledge and Inaba last season and small ball may again be the weapon of choice.

Yoshio Itoi (.306 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs) helped lead the surprising offensive surge and Shinji Takahashi (.309, eight homers, 75 RBIs), Makoto Kaneko (.304, 14 homers, 66 RBIs) and Eiichi Koyano (.296, 11 homers, 82 RBIs) help fill out a lineup flush with good hitters.

Sledge leaves a big void to be filled at the plate. Which may have Nippon Ham leaning on its pitchers for support.

Darvish is the unquestioned leader of the pitching staff, but the onus is on his teammates to prevent the Fighters from being a one-man show.

Masaru Takeda likely returns as the second man in the rotation, after winning 10 games last season.

Nippon Ham will also have left-hander Tomoya Yagi (9-3, 2.88) to lean on.

Keisaku Itokazu and a healthy Kazuhito Tadano are also available with foreign newcomers Buddy Carlyle and Bobby Keppel fitting in somewhere as well.

Keep an eye on: Yu Darvish. The team ace has tweaked his approach to help ward off the injury problems he faced last season. Darvish is the Fighters' most important player and how he returns from back and finger injuries will be closely monitored.

3. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Manager: Marty Brown

Last season: 77-66-1 (Second)

The Eagles came within a few wins of reaching the Japan Series and the task falls to new manager Marty Brown to get them over the hump.

Rakuten may have the best 1-2 punch in Japanese baseball in top-line hurlers Hisashi Iwakuma and Masahiro Tanaka.

That duo becomes a triple threat if fourth-year pitcher Satoshi Nagai can build upon a solid 2009 campaign that saw him go 13-7 with a 3.42 ERA. Eagles fans will also hope this is the year third-year hurler Kohei Hasebe turns the corner.

The team also attempted to shore up the back of the bullpen with the addition of hard-throwing right-hander Juan Morillo, who joins Kazuo Fukumori and Tsuyoshi Kawagishi.

Rakuten leaned on old-hand Takeshi Yamasaki (39 homers, 107 RBIs) for offense last season and he may have to do the heavy lifting again. He'll have a little more help with the addition of former Hiroshima Carp Andy Phillips.

Teppei Tsuchiya is a fantastic hitter, leading the league with a .327 average, and is a danger with runners on. The Eagles can also count on capable bats in Fernando Seguignol, Daisuke Kusano and Naoto Watanabe to step up and generate a few runs.

Keep an eye on: Kohei Hasebe. The 24-year-old arrived to much fanfare two seasons ago but has thus far failed to deliver. The Eagles' rotation could be the toast of the Pacific League if the youngster puts it all together this season.

4. Orix Buffaloes

Manager: Akinobu Okada

Last season: 56-82-2 (Sixth)

Staying healthy will be step one for a Buffaloes team that was ravaged by injuries a year ago.

The club let Tuffy Rhodes walk, placing the offense in the capable hands (if healthy) of Alex Cabrera, who hit .314 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs in an injury-plagued 65-game campaign. Greg LaRocca can also pull his weight at the plate when healthy.

Tomotaka Sakaguchi (.317, five homers, 50 RBIs, 16 stolen bases) may be the team's best player and has gotten better in each of the last three years. There's also a lot to like in newcomers Aarom Baldiris, who lit up the Western League last season and was acquired as a free agent, and Shogo Akada, brought in via a trade with Seibu.

The pitching staff was the worst in Japanese baseball as the Buffaloes' young pitchers regressed and their veteran hurlers didn't perform.

Chihiro Kaneko is the top dog here and the newly acquired Hiroshi Kisanuki provides an experienced presence. Satoshi Komatsu is capable of having a big year if he can put some consistency behind his considerable talents. Shogo Yamamoto also figures to play a role.

Keep an eye on: Aarom Baldiris. Left to rot on the Hanshin Tigers farm team, despite putting up big numbers there, Baldiris was thrown a lifeline by Okada.

What he does with the opportunity could be important for the Orix at the plate in tough spots this season.

5. Chiba Lotte Marines

Manager: Norifumi Nishimura

Last season: 62-77-5 (Fifth)

The Marines are hoping to add a bit more home run power with the addition of South Korean slugger Kim Tae Kyun. Kim was a force in the Korean Baseball Organization, batting .310 with 188 homers and 701 RBIs in nine seasons with the Hanwha Eagles.

Kim went .330, with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs last season.

If Kim approaches those numbers during his first season in Japan, he'll be a nice addition to a team that had four players (Shoitsu Omatsu, Saburo Omura, Tadahito Iguchi and Toshiaki Imae) top 60 RBIs last season.

Catcher Tomoya Satozaki can also put up decent numbers. Keeping him healthy takes on added importance with trusted backup Tasuku Hashimoto now playing for the Yokohama BayStars.

Pitcher Hiroyuki Kobayashi's two-year slump has landed him in the bullpen while Naoyuki Shimizu was traded to Yokohama, leaving Shunsuke Watanabe and Yoshihisa Naruse to pick up the pieces in the rotation.

Naruse is the best of the bunch, returning after going 11-5 with a 3.28 ERA, while Watanabe will be hoping to better a 3-13, 4.05 ERA campaign.

Lotte also has a pair of promising young arms in Yuki Karakawa, who has a major upside, and Yuta Omine, another youngster who could have a bright future. Veteran Shingo Ono can also be relied on for a few good starts.

There's a lot to be desired in the bullpen with the departure of reliever Brian Sikorski but something will be mashed together with Yasuhiko Yabuta, Kobayashi and Tadahiro Ogino, among others to choose from.

Keep an eye on: Yuta Omine. Without Kobayashi and Shimizu in the rotation, how the 22-year-old develops alongside Naruse (25) and Karakawa (21) could have a big effect both this year and in the future.

6. Fukuoka Softbank Hawks

Manager: Koji Akiyama

Last season: 74-65-5 (Third)

Injuries and age are starting to catch up to the Hawks, whose window may be closing fast.

Slugger Nobuhiko Matsunaka is getting on in years but can still get the job done when healthy. Matsunaka hit .279 last season with 23 homers and 80 RBIs.

The problem is keeping him fit. Injuries are starting to take their toll on the aging star, who will begin the year on the farm team for the first time since his rookie season.

Recovering from offseason knee and elbow surgery, Matsunaka hit .111 with no homers or RBIs in seven exhibition games.

Matsunaka's condition puts more pressure on 38-year-old Hiroki Kokubo to step up his level of play.

Kokubo was the only Softbank player to appear in all 144 games last season, hitting .266 with 18 home runs and a team-high 81 RBIs.

Catcher Hidenori Tanoue packs a punch (26 homers and 80 RBIs in 2009) but a dismal average (.251) and a tendency to strike out (122) somewhat numbs his effectiveness.

Though the Hawks' halfhearted attempts to woo former star Kenji Johjima suggest they're pleased with Tanoue's progress.

Jose Ortiz, Yuya Hasegawa and Hitoshi Tamura will hold their own but the offense could be in trouble if Matsunaka's knees betray him.

Softbank added Lee Bum Ho over the offseason, another weapon at the plate who creates a logjam at third base with Nobuhiro Matsuda.

At the top of the lineup, Softbank needs better performances out of Yuichi Honda and Munenori Kawasaki, who both had subpar performances last season.

Ace Toshiya Sugiuchi was 15-5 with a 2.36 ERA last season and is the only sure thing in the rotation. Dennis Houlton (11-8, 2.89) was Softbank's only other dependable pitcher last season, while Tsuyoshi Wada, if he stays healthy, presents another quality arm.

Setup man Tadashi Settsu (34 holds) and Takahiro Mahara (29 saves) are a formidable bullpen duo.