Japanese Professional Baseball League

While amateur baseball had long been popular in Japan, the first professional circuit was not formed until 1936. That year the Japanese Professional Baseball League (also known as Japanese Baseball League, Nippon no Puro Yakyu Rigu or Nippon No Yakyu Rigu) was set up. In the first three years they made up for lost time by playing six seasons, with spring and fall seasons each year. In 1939, the seasons were condensed into one per year. The 1944 campaign was cut short and 1945 was eliminated altogether due to World War II. After the War, no American played in Japan until 1951 when Wally Yonamine integrated Japanese baseball. In 1950, the JPBL ended and was replaced by the Central League and Pacific League.

Champions

• 1937 Spring: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1937 Fall: Osaka Tigers
• 1938 Spring: Osaka Tigers
• 1938 Fall: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1939: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1940: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1941: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1942: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1943: Tokyo Kyojin
• 1944: Hanshin
• 1946: Kinki Great Ring
• 1947: Osaka Tigers
• 1948: Nankai Hawks
• 1949: Yomiuri Giants

MVPs

• 1937 Spring: Eiji Sawamura, Tokyo Kyojin, P
• 1937 Fall: Harrison McGalliard, Kourakuen Eagles, C
• 1938 Spring: Hisanori Karita, Tokyo Senators, 2B
• 1938 Fall: Haruyasu Nakajima, Tokyo Kyojin, OF
• 1939: Victor Starffin, Tokyo Kyojin, P
• 1940: Victor Starffin, Tokyo Kyojin, P
• 1941: Tetsuharu Kawakami, Tokyo Kyojin, 1B
• 1942: Shigeru Mizuhara, Tokyo Kyojin, 2B
• 1943: Shosei Go, Tokyo Kyojin, OF
• 1944: Tadashi Wakabayashi, Hanshin, P
• 1946: Kazuto Tsuruoka, Kinki Great Ring, 3B
• 1947: Tadashi Wakabayashi, Osaka Tigers, P
• 1948: Kazuto Tsuruoka, Nankai, 3B
• 1949: Fumio Fujimura, Osaka Tigers, OF