Overview

• Tokyo Yakult Swallows announced on Sept. 28 that 56-year-old Shingo Takatsu will leave the managerial post after this season.
• The team finished last in 2025, with widespread injuries to key players cited in reports as a factor in the decline.
• Takatsu moved up from farm manager in 2020 and led Yakult to a league title and Japan Series crown in 2021, then a league repeat in 2022.
• Results fell to fifth place in both 2023 and 2024, and he entered 2025 on a one-year contract.
• Multiple outlets report that 59-year-old Takahiro Ikeyama is the leading candidate for promotion to replace Takatsu.