Welcome to Episode 121 of Tablesetters — and today we’re joined by one of the most essential voices in global baseball storytelling. Jim Allen, longtime NPB writer, analyst, historian, and the force behind jballallen.com and its weekly newsletter, sits down with us for a deep, far-reaching conversation about the heartbeat of Japanese baseball and its growing impact on MLB.

For decades, Jim’s reporting has been the bridge that helps English-speaking fans understand not just NPB players, but the culture, structures, and histories that shape them. From the posting system to player development pathways, from extra-inning philosophy to editorial norms, and from national identity to modern pitch-design trends, Jim brings context you simply can’t find anywhere else. And with Tatsuya Imai, Munetaka Murakami, Kona Takahashi, and others drawing MLB attention — all while Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki redefine the top of the sport — this is the perfect moment to have him on.

In our conversation, Jim takes us inside how the posting system actually works: the incentives that guide both leagues, how timing and leverage shape negotiations, and why the 2013 reforms solved some issues while pushing others into new territory. We break down Imai’s rise into a front-line starter, why his growth feels so intentional, and what parts of his profile give him the best chance to translate quickly to MLB. Jim also helps untangle the narrative around Murakami’s 56-homer “Japanese-born record,” how it’s framed against Balentien’s 60, and what American fans need to understand about how that story was built and why it stuck.

We dig into the philosophical gap between MLB’s open-ended extra innings and NPB’s 12-inning limit, what that says about pace, workload, and cultural logic, and how that contrast resurfaced when Yamamoto appeared in the World Series on almost no rest. From there, we look at Japan’s relationship with the WBC — Ohtani’s commitment, the national pride attached to the tournament, and how fans weigh those responsibilities against MLB club preferences.

Jim also breaks down why narrow milestones and highly specific statistical labels catch fire so quickly in Japanese media, and what American audiences often miss about that editorial tradition. We explore how public sentiment in Japan has shifted regarding stars leaving for MLB, from the tension-filled Matsuzaka era to today’s more normalized wave of early departures. And we close with a look ahead: the next generation of NPB names to know, plus Jim’s thoughts on Anthony Kay’s breakout season and Trevor Bauer’s polarizing stint in Japan.

It’s one of our most wide-ranging episodes yet — part baseball, part culture, part analytics, part history — and Jim guides all of it with clarity, nuance, and generosity.

🎧 Subscribe and follow @TablesettersPod on Instagram and X for bonus clips, analysis, and offseason storytelling all winter long.

Tablesetters — where the game on the field meets the stories that define it.