Latin American players will feature on both sides of the 2026 Japan Series, with six named to the rosters for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Inclusion means they can be selected for the 26-player game roster before any game in the series, but does not guarantee they will play.
SoftBank’s contingent is led by Cuban left-hander Livan Moinelo, who went 6–1 with a 0.76 ERA in seven regular season starts after returning from injury in August. The reigning Pacific League MVP enters another championship series as the cornerstone of the rotation, but is coming off one of the worst starts of his career in Game 1 of the PLCS Final Stage.
The Hawks also have Mexican pitchers Roberto Osuna and Alexander Armenta, Venezuelan left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez, and Colombian infielder Jeter Downs. Osuna has a 2.58 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings, while Hernandez has a 1.48 ERA with 52 punchouts in 42 ⅔ innings this season. Armenta and Downs have not appeared on the top team much in 2026 but will be ready to contribute if others get injured.
DeNA’s Latin American representative is Venezuelan right-hander José Ruiz. The former MLB reliever recorded a 3.05 ERA and 15 holds across 45 appearances in his first NPB season, giving the BayStars an experienced bullpen option.
One notable absence is Dominican outfielder Jerar Encarnacion. He hit 11 home runs with an .815 OPS in 64 games after joining DeNA in June, but injured his right leg during the Climax Series clincher against Hanshin and was left off the Japan Series roster.