TOKYO —

Chunichi Dragons outfielder Kazuhiro Wada was named the Central League MVP for position players while teammate Yudai Kawai took the accolade for pitchers on Thursday for the month of June. Wada batted .415 over the span with a league-high 27 hits to win the award for the first time in three years and second time overall. It was the first time he was selected since moving to Chunichi from the Seibu Lions. Left-hander Kawai went 4-0 and picked up his first monthly MVP in his fifth year in pro baseball.
   
The Pacific League, meanwhile, chose Nippon Ham outfielder Yoshio Itoi in the position players category while Softbank Hawks lefty Toshiya Sugiuchi won the MVP for pitchers. Itoi took the honor for the first time in his sixth year, batting .391. Nippon Ham is the first team since the 1995 Orix BlueWave to claim MVP awards for position players for three consecutive months and first team ever to do so from the start of the season. Sugiuchi had three wins, including two complete games (one shutout), in four starts to help lead Softbank into first place. It was his first MVP since last May and sixth time overall; a league record for pitchers.

Kyodo

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