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{{Short description|Nippon Professional Baseball team in the Pacific League}}
{{Infobox baseball team
| name                = Orix Buffaloes
| logo = Orix Buffaloes (logo).svg
| cap_logo            = Orix Buffaloes insignia.svg
| league = '''[[Nippon Professional Baseball]]'''
:'''[[Pacific League]] (1950–present)'''
{{nowrap|[[Japanese Baseball League]] (1936–1949)}}
| location = HQ in [[Nishi-ku, Osaka|Nishi-ku]], [[Osaka]], [[Osaka Prefecture]], [[Japan]]
| stadium = [[Kyocera Dome Osaka]]<br />[[Hotto Motto Field Kobe]]
| founded = {{start date and age|1936|01|23}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Index by team |url=https://npb.jp/teams/ |website=NPB |access-date=1 September 2022 |archive-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816231801/https://npb.jp/teams/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| nickname =
| former_names        ={{plainlist|
* Orix BlueWave (1991–2004)
* Orix Braves (1989–1990)
* Hankyu Braves (1947–1988)
* Hankyu Club (1936–1946)
}}
| league_champ_type   = PL pennants
| league_champs       = '''15''' ({{npby|1967}}, {{npby|1968}}, {{npby|1969}}, {{npby|1971}}, {{npby|1972}}, {{npby|1975}}, {{npby|1976}}, {{npby|1977}}, {{npby|1978}}, {{npby|1984}}, {{npby|1995}}, {{npby|1996}}, {{npby|2021}}, {{npby|2022}}, {{npby|2023}})
| series = [[Japan Series]]
| series_champs = '''5''' ([[1975 Japan Series|1975]], [[1976 Japan Series|1976]], [[1977 Japan Series|1977]], [[1996 Japan Series|1996]], [[2022 Japan Series|2022]])
| former_ballparks ={{plainlist|
* [[Hankyu Nishinomiya Stadium]] (1937–1990)
* [[Takarazuka Stadium]] (1936)}}
| colors = Navy Blue, Gold, White<br>{{color box|#202040}} {{color box|#bbad38}} {{color box|white}}
| mascot = Buffalo Bull and Buffalo Bell
| manager = [[Mamoru Kishida]]
| general_manager =
| berths = '''11''' ([[1973 Pacific League Playoffs|1973]], [[1974 Pacific League Playoffs|1974]], [[1975 Pacific League Playoffs|1975]], [[1977 Pacific League Playoffs|1977]], [[1979 Pacific League Playoffs|1979]], [[2008 Pacific League Climax Series|2008]], [[2014 Pacific League Climax Series|2014]], [[2021 Pacific League Climax Series|2021]], [[2022 Pacific League Climax Series|2022]], [[2023 Pacific League Climax Series|2023]], [[2025 Pacific League Climax Series|2025]])
| owner = [[Yoshihiko Miyauchi]]
| management = [[Orix]]
| uniform             = [[File:Orix Buffaloes uniforms.png|center|175px]]
|native_name=オリックス・バファローズ|native_name_lang=ja}}

The {{Nihongo|'''Orix Buffaloes'''|オリックス・バファローズ|Orikkusu Bafarōzu}} are a [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] team formed as a result of the [[2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment]] by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of [[Kobe]], Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]] of [[Osaka]], Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The team plays in the [[Pacific League]] and is under ownership by [[Orix]], a financial services company founded in Osaka.

The combined team began play in 2005. The Buffaloes split home games between [[Kyocera Dome Osaka]], the home of the original Buffaloes franchise, and [[Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium]], the former home of the BlueWave, when the [[Hanshin Tigers]] have to use Kyocera Dome. The Tigers' main home stadium, [[Hanshin Koshien Stadium]], is used for the two biggest high-school tournaments in Japan, the [[Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament|Senbatsu]] in March, coinciding with the opening of the NPB season, and during the [[Japanese High School Baseball Championship]] in August.

Through 2022, the club's all-time record is 5,543–5,297–410 (.511).

==Franchise history==

===Hankyu/Orix (1936–2004)===

====Hankyu Braves====
The franchise that eventually became the Orix Buffaloes was founded in 1936 under the ownership of a Japanese railway company {{Nihongo|[[Hankyu Railway|Hanshin Kyuko Railway Company]]|阪神急行電鉄|Hanshin Kyuko Dentetsu|extra=present: [[Hankyu Hanshin Holdings]], Inc.}}, as {{Nihongo|'''Osaka Hankyu Baseball Club'''|大阪阪急野球協会|Ōsaka hankyū yakyū kyōkai}}. Later nicknamed the '''Hankyu Braves''', it was one of the first professional baseball teams in Japan, and the oldest surviving team in the [[Pacific League]].

In the early 1950s, the franchise made a dedicated effort to attract foreign talent, particularly [[African-American]] veterans of [[Negro league baseball]],<ref name=BlackTokyo>Zurui, [http://www.blacktokyo.com/2008/09/12/negro-leaguers-in-japan/ "Negro Leaguers in Japan,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503164737/http://www.blacktokyo.com/2008/09/12/negro-leaguers-in-japan/ |date=2016-05-03 }} ''BlackTokyo'' (September 12, 2008).</ref> including infielders [[John Britton (baseball)|John Britton]] and [[Larry Raines]], and pitchers [[Jimmy Newberry]] and [[Jonas Gaines]]. These players were the first Americans other than [[Wally Yonamine]] to play [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] after [[World War II]].

Starting in the mid-1960s, the Braves became one of the dominant teams not only in the [[Pacific League]] but in all of Japanese professional baseball. Between 1967 and 1972, the Hankyu Braves won the Pacific League pennant five times but lost the Japan Series each time against the [[Yomiuri Giants]]. Manager [[Yukio Nishimoto]] was known as "the great manager in tragedy" because of those losses. But the Hankyu Braves won Japan Series three times in a row from 1975, against the Tokyo Giants in 1976 and 1977, led by manager [[Toshiharu Ueda]]. At that time, many good players in Japanese baseball history played for the Hankyu Braves, including pitcher [[Hisashi Yamada]] and outfielder [[Yutaka Fukumoto]].

In the 1980s, the team still was a strong contender in the Pacific League, but lost the PL pennant to the [[Seibu Lions]] every year except 1984; that year, the Braves fell to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in the Japan Series in seven games.

On October 19, 1988, Hankyu Railway sold the franchise to the lease company Orient Lease (since 1989 known as Orix Group), in what was known as "the longest day of the Pacific League". The reason is that when the franchise sale occurred, the [[Kintetsu Buffaloes]] played the legendary "10.19" double-header for the Pacific League pennant, only to miss the pennant out because of the second game ending in a tie. For Kintetsu to win the pennant, they had to win both games in the doubleheader against the [[Chiba Lotte Marines|Lotte Orions]]. The sale was a surprise; at that time, it was much rarer for a Japanese professional baseball team to change owners, not to mention for a large company to sell one of its parts. In that case, Hankyu Railway was thought of as one of the big companies that would never need to do such a thing. The sale was also a surprise, given that prior to Hankyu founder [[Ichizō Kobayashi|Ichizo Kobayashi]]'s death in 1957, he decreed that under any circumstances, Hankyu must never sell the Braves and the [[Takarazuka Revue]], both of which were passion projects of his. As it turned out, however, the Braves had to be sold in order for Hankyu to keep the Revue afloat.

The sale was not without two assurances: the team name would remain "Braves", and the franchise would stay in [[Nishinomiya]]. During the first two years of new ownership, the team was known as the '''Orix Braves''' and played in Nishinomiya.

====BlueWave====
In 1991, the team moved to [[Kobe]] and became the '''Orix BlueWave'''. Orix put out a poll to decide the new name, and unsurprisingly, people voted Braves. It was said that Orix put out another poll and told fans "Braves" was not allowed. What made it worse was in that second poll, "Thunder" was the winning name, which fit the new color scheme (when Orix bought the team, they changed their colors from black and red to navy blue and gold), and because the team's batting lineup was named {{Nihongo|''Blue Thunder''|ブルーサンダー|Burūsandā}}. But, Orix went with "BlueWave". Longtime fans were shocked by these changes. One member of the Braves' cheering squad (応援団 ''ouendan'') said that "the race was decided before the gun even went off".<ref>{{Citation|title=The Orix-Kintetsu Merger – The Story of the 2004 NPB Realignment|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDuziOoSKEM|language=en|access-date=2022-02-24|archive-date=2022-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131024205/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eDuziOoSKEM|url-status=live}}</ref> Another thing that did not make sense to fans was they were named BlueWave while playing in then-named Green Stadium (now [[Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium]]) in a city whose official color is green. However, since Nishinomiya and Kobe are close to one another, and the new home field of the team was better than the old one, most fans accepted the move, although with some nostalgia for the historic "Braves" name. The team was sometimes called {{Nihongo|''Aonami'' or ''Seiha''|青波}} by fans and the baseball media, which means "blue wave" in Japanese.

Led by [[Ichiro Suzuki]] in 1995 and 1996, the Orix BlueWave won the Pacific League pennant. In 1996, they also won the [[Japan Series]]. In 2001, Suzuki moved to the [[Seattle Mariners]] and led the Mariners to a [[2001 Seattle Mariners season|116 win season]], the most wins by an [[American League]] team.

===Orix Buffaloes (2005 to present)===
Following the [[2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment]], the BlueWave merged with the [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]]. The team struggled since its merger, only finishing in the top half (or A Class) of the Pacific league once from 2005 to 2013. In 2008, The Buffaloes finished second in the Pacific League, going 75–68–1 and finishing {{frac|2|1|2}} games behind the [[Saitama Seibu Lions]], but were swept by the [[Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters]] at home in the first stage of the [[Climax Series]]. After two seasons of finishing last in the Pacific League, they finished first in 2021, going 70–55–18. They swept the [[Chiba Lotte Marines]] in the final stage of the Climax Series to make their first Japan Series appearance since 1996. Ultimately, they were defeated by the [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]] in six games. In 2022, despite a rough start to the season, the Buffaloes finished 1st after a 5–2 win over the [[Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles]] on the final day of the Pacific League regular season, combined with the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] losing to the Marines, 5–2, at the same time the game was happening, and also because they had 5 more wins against the Hawks during the regular season, 15–10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=【データ】オリックスがソフトバンクと勝率で並ぶも直接対決の差でＶ（日刊スポーツ） |url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/514c7727bbf3b32a28c30bc77c5eb65665f5cfa4 |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=Yahoo!ニュース |language=ja |archive-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002133330/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/514c7727bbf3b32a28c30bc77c5eb65665f5cfa4 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Buffaloes would defeat the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the Final Stage of the 2022 Pacific League Climax Series, 4 games to 1, which set up a rematch of the previous year's Japan Series, but this time the Buffaloes exacted revenge on the Swallows, defeating them 4 games to 2. Following that campaign, [[Masataka Yoshida]] requested to be posted to MLB, and signed with the [[Boston Red Sox]] that offseason. In 2023, an 86-53-4 record yielded them their third straight Pacific League pennant, alongside Yamamoto winning his 3rd consecutive Triple Crown. They swept the [[Chiba Lotte Marines]] in the final stage of the Climax Series to make their third Japan Series appearance. However, the Buffaloes were defeated by the [[Hanshin Tigers]] in seven games. [[Yoshinobu Yamamoto]]'s posting to MLB proved to be too much for the Buffaloes to handle, as without their legendary ace, the Buffaloes fell to a record of 63-77-3, ending the year in fifth place. Following that season, manager [[Satoshi Nakajima]] announced he was stepping down after he failed to guide the Buffaloes to their fourth straight pennant. He was replaced with [[Mamoru Kishida]].

==Current roster==
{{Orix Buffaloes roster}}

==Baseball Hall of Famers==
''Elected mainly for Hankyu Braves service''
* [[Yutaka Fukumoto]], CF, 1969–1988 (inducted 2002)
* [[Takao Kajimoto]], P, 1954–1973 (inducted 2007)
* [[Hisashi Yamada]], P, 1969–1988 (inducted 2006)
* [[Tetsuya Yoneda]], P, 1956–1975 (inducted 2000)

''Elected for service with other teams, as well as Hankyu and Orix''
* [[Hiromitsu Kadota]], DH, 1989–1990 (inducted 2006)
* [[Futoshi Nakanishi]], Head coach / Hitting coach, 1985–1990†, 1995–1997 (inducted 1999) †For Kintetsu Buffaloes
* [[Akira Ōgi]], MGR 1988–1992†, 1994–2001, 2005 (inducted 2004)
* [[Toshiharu Ueda]], MGR, 1974–1978, 1981–1990 (inducted 2003)
* [[Ichiro Suzuki]], RF, 1992-2000 (inducted 2025)

''Elected mainly for Kintetsu Buffaloes service''
* [[Yukio Nishimoto]], MGR 1974–1981 (inducted 1988)
* [[Keishi Suzuki]], P, 1966–1985 (inducted 2002)

===Notable former players and managers===
''as Orix Buffaloes''
* {{player||USA|[[Cliff Brumbaugh]] – RF}}
* {{player||MEX|[[Karim García]] – OF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Kazuhiro Kiyohara]] (清原 和博) – 1B/3B}} 
* {{player||JPN|[[Chihiro Kaneko]] (金子 千尋) – P}}
* {{player||KOR|[[Chan Ho Park|Park Chan Ho]] – P}}
* {{player||KOR|[[Dae-ho Lee|Lee Dae-ho]]}} – 1B
* {{player||JPN|[[Hiroyuki Nakajima]] (中島 裕之) – IF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Yoshitomo Tani]] (谷 佳知) – OF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Yoshio Itoi]] (糸井 嘉男) – OF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Tomotaka Sakaguchi]] (坂口 智隆) – OF/IF}}
* {{player||USA|[[Ryan Vogelsong]] – P}} 
* {{player||DOM|[[Esteban Germán]] – IF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Atsushi Nomi]] (能見 篤史) – P}}
* {{player||USA|[[Adam Jones (baseball)|Adam Jones]] – OF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Ryota Ishioka]] (石岡 諒太) – IF, OF}} 
* {{player||VEN|[[Marwin González]] – IF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Motoki Higa]] (比嘉 幹貴) – P}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Takahiro Okada|T-Okada]] (T-岡田) – IF/OF}}

''as Orix BlueWave''
* {{player || USA | [[Roosevelt Brown (baseball)|Roosevelt Brown]] – OF}}
* {{player || USA | [[Doug Jennings (baseball)|Doug Jennings]] – OF/1B}} (also known as D.J)
* {{player||KOR|[[Koo Dae-sung]] – P}}
* {{player || JPN | [[Yasuo Fujii]] (藤井 康雄) – IF/OF}}
* {{player|| JPN | [[Junichi Fukura]] (福良 淳一) – 2B}}
* {{player||JPN| [[Shigetoshi Hasegawa]] (長谷川 滋利) – P}} – formerly of the [[Anaheim Angels]] and [[Seattle Mariners]]
* {{player || USA | [[Troy Neel]] – 1B}}
* {{player || USA | [[Chris Donnels]] – 3B}}
* {{player|| JPN | [[Mac Suzuki]] (マック 鈴木) – P}}
* {{player||JPN| [[Masafumi Hirai]] (平井 正史) – P}}
* {{player|| JPN | [[Takahito Nomura]] (野村 貴仁) – P}}
* {{player || JPN | [[Satoshi Nakajima]] (中嶋 聡) – C }}
* {{player|| JPN | [[Punch Sato|Kazuhiro Sato]] (佐藤 和弘)  (also known as "Punch" Sato) (パンチ佐藤), OF}}
* {{player||JPN| [[Masahiko Kaneda]] (金田 政彦) – P}}
* {{player || JPN | [[Koichi Oshima]] (大島 公一) – 2B}}
* {{player|| JPN | [[Ichiro Suzuki|Ichiro]] (イチロー) – OF}} – of the [[Seattle Mariners]] and [[New York Yankees]] of MLB's [[American League]]
* {{player || JPN | [[So Taguchi]] (田口 壮) – IF, OF}} 
* {{player || JPN | [[Ryūtarō Tsuji|Ryūtarō]] (竜太郎) – OF}} 

''as Kintetsu (and Osaka Kintetsu) Buffaloes''
* {{player||USA|[[Charlie Manuel]] – OF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Norihiro Nakamura]] (中村 紀洋) – IF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Masahiro Doi]] (土井 正博) – OF}} 
* {{player||JPN|[[Shintaro Yamasaki]] (山崎 慎太郎) – P}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Hideo Nomo]] (野茂 英雄) – P}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Keishi Suzuki]] (鈴木 啓示) – P}}
* {{player||USA|[[Tuffy Rhodes]] – OF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Masato Yoshii]] (吉井 理人) – P}}

''as Hankyu (and Orix) Braves''
* {{player || JPN | [[Mitsuhiro Adachi]] (足立 光宏) – P }} – underhanded big-game pitcher who defeated the [[Yomiuri Giants]]
* {{player||CUB|[[Roberto Barbon]] – IF}}
* {{player || JPN | [[Yutaro Imai]] (今井 雄太郎) – P }} – once pitched a perfect game
* {{player||JPN|[[Hideji Kato]] (加藤 英司) – 1B}}
* {{player||USA|[[Brad Lesley|Brad "Animal" Lesley]] – P}}
* {{player||VEN|[[Bobby Marcano]] – IF}}
* {{player||JPN|[[Hiromi Matsunaga (baseball)|Hiromi Matsunaga]] (松永 浩美) – 3B}}
* {{player || JPN | [[Tokuji Nagaike]] (長池 徳士) – OF }} 
* {{player || JPN | [[Kazuhiko Ishimine]] (石嶺 和彦) – OF }}
* {{player || JPN | [[Yutaka Fukumoto]]（福本 豊）– OF }} – steal the most bases in NPB up to now
* {{player || JPN | [[Nobuyuki Hoshino]] (星野 伸之) – P }}
* {{player || JPN | [[Takao Kajimoto]] (梶本 隆夫) – P }}
* {{player || JPN | [[Kōji Minoda|Koji Minoda]] (簑田 浩二) – OF }}
* {{player || JPN | [[Yoshinori Sato (baseball, born 1954)|Yoshinori Sato]] (佐藤 義則) – P }}
* {{player || JPN | [[Hisashi Yamada]] (山田 久志) – P }}
* {{player || USA | [[Daryl Spencer]] – IF}}
* {{player||USA|[[Greg Wells (baseball)|Greg "Boomer" Wells]] – 1B }} (the first non-Japanese triple crown hitter in NPB history<ref>{{cite book |last=Whiting |first=Robert |date=1989 |title=You Gotta Have Wa |location=New York |publisher=Vintage Books |pages=287–88 |isbn=0-679-72947-X }}</ref>)
* {{player || JPN | [[Masafumi Yamamori]] (山森 雅文) – OF }}

==MLB players==
Active:
* [[Masataka Yoshida]] (beginning 2023)
* [[Yoshinobu Yamamoto]] (beginning 2024)

Former:
* [[Adam Jones (baseball)|Adam Jones]] (2020–2021)
* [[Mac Suzuki]] (2003–2005)
* [[Joey Butler]] (2014)
* [[Hideo Nomo]] (1990–1994)
* [[Shigetoshi Hasegawa]] (1990–1996)
* [[Masao Kida]] (1998, 2000–2001)
* [[So Taguchi]] (1992–2001, 2010–2011)
* [[Koo Dae-Sung]] (2001–2004)
* [[Tuffy Rhodes]] (2007–2009)
* [[Joey Meneses]] (2018–2019)
* [[Ichiro Suzuki|Ichiro]] (1992–2000) 
* [[Park Chan Ho]] (2011)
* [[Yoshihisa Hirano (baseball)|Yoshihisa Hirano]] (2018–2020)
* [[Brandon Dickson]] (2013–2021)
* [[Masato Yoshii]] (1997–2002)
* [[Marwin González]] (2023–2024)

==Managers==
{| Class="wikitable sortable"style="text-align:center;white-space:nowrap; font-size: small;"
!{{abbr|No.|Number}}
!Years<br />in office
!{{abbr|YR|Year}}
!Managers
!{{abbr|G|Games}}
!{{abbr|W|Wins}}
!{{abbr|L|Losses}}
!{{abbr|T|Ties}}
!{{abbr|Win%|Winning percentage}}
!Pacific League<br />championships
!Japan Series<br />championships
!Playoff<br />berths
|-
|1
|1936
|1
|{{sortname|Daisuke|Miyake}}
|48
|28
|19
|1
|.596
|
|
|
|-
|2
|1937
|1
|{{sortname|Daisuke|Miyake}},<br />{{sortname|Minoru|Murakami}} (1st)
|105
|45
|55
|5
|.445
|
|
|
|-
|3
|1938
|1
|{{sortname|Minoru|Yamashita}}
|75
|42
|30
|3
|.583
|
|
|
|-
|4
|1939
|1
|{{sortname|Minoru|Yamashita}},<br />{{sortname|Minoru|Murakami}} (2nd)
|96
|58
|36
|2
|'''.617'''
|
|
|
|-
|5
|1940–1942
|3
|{{sortname|Toshiharu|Inokawa}}
|294
|163
|119
|12
|.578
|
|
|
|-
|6
|1943–1947
|4
|{{sortname|Masao|Nishimura}} (1st)
|343
|159
|175
|9
|.476
|
|
|
|-
|7
|1948–{{npby|1953}}
|6
|{{sortname|Shinji|Hamazaki}}
|720
|342
|357
|21
|.489
|
|
|
|-
|8
|{{npby|1954}}–{{npby|1956}}
|3
|{{sortname|Masao|Nishimura}} (2nd)
|436
|234
|194
|8
|.547
|
|
|
|-
|9
|{{npby|1957}}–{{npby|1958}}
|2
|{{sortname|Sadayoshi|Fujimoto}}
|262
|144
|106
|12
|.576
|
|
|
|-
|10
|{{npby|1959}}
|1
|{{sortname|Sadayoshi|Fujimoto}},<br />{{sortname|Katsuki|Tokura}}
|134
|48
|82
|4
|.369
|
|
|
|-
|11
|{{npby|1960}}–{{npby|1962}}
|3
|{{sortname|Katsuki|Tokura}}
|407
|178
|219
|10
|.448
|
|
|
|-
|12
|{{npby|1963}}–{{npby|1973}}
|'''11'''
|{{sortname|Yukio|Nishimoto}}
|'''1,492'''
|'''792'''
|'''655'''
|45
|.547
|'''5 times'''<br />([[1967 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1967]], [[1968 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1968]], [[1969 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1969]],<br />[[1971 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1971]], [[1972 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1972]])
|
|1 ([[1973 Pacific League Playoffs|1973]])
|-
|13
|{{npby|1974}}–{{npby|1978}}
|5
|{{sortname|Toshiharu|Ueda}} (1st)
|650
|363
|245
|42
|.597
|4 times<br />([[1975 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1975]], [[1976 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1976]],<br />[[1977 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1977]], [[1978 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1978]])
|'''3 times'''<br />([[1975 Japan Series|1975]], [[1976 Japan Series|1976]], [[1977 Japan Series|1977]])
|'''3 times'''<br />([[1974 Pacific League Playoffs|1974]], [[1975 Pacific League Playoffs|1975]], [[1977 Pacific League Playoffs|1977]])
|-
|14
|{{npby|1979}}–{{npby|1980}}
|2
|{{sortname|Takao|Kajimoto}}
|260
|133
|111
|16
|.545
|
|
|1 ([[1979 Pacific League Playoffs|1979]])
|-
|15
|{{npby|1981}}–{{npby|1990}}
|10
|{{sortname|Toshiharu|Ueda}} (2nd)
|1,300
|664
|572
|'''64'''
|.537
|1 ([[1984 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1984]])
|
|
|-
|16
|{{npby|1991}}–{{npby|1993}}
|3
|{{sortname|Shozo|Doi}}
|390
|195
|183
|12
|.516
|
|
|
|-
|17
|{{npby|1994}}–{{npby|2001}}
|8
|{{sortname|Akira|Ohgi}} (1st)
|1,070
|563
|481
|26
|.539
|2 ([[1995 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1995]], [[1996 Nippon Professional Baseball season|1996]]) 
|1 ([[1996 Japan Series|1996]])
|
|-
|18
|{{npby|2002}}
|1
|{{sortname|Hiromichi|Ishige}}
|140
|50
|87
|3
|.365
|
|
|
|-
|19
|{{npby|2003}}
|1
|{{sortname|Hiromichi|Ishige}},<br />{{sortname|Leon|Lee}}
|140
|48
|88
|4
|.353
|
|
|
|-
|20
|{{npby|2004}}
|1
|{{sortname|Haruki|Ihara}}
|133
|49
|82
|2
|.374
|
|
|
|-
|21
|{{npby|2005}}
|1
|{{sortname|Akira|Ohgi}} (2nd)
|136
|62
|70
|4
|.470
|
|
|
|-
|22
|{{npby|2006}}
|1
|{{sortname|Katsuhiro|Nakamura}}
|136
|52
|81
|3
|.391
|
|
|
|-
|23
|{{npby|2007}}
|1
|{{sortname|Terry|Collins}}
|144
|62
|77
|5
|.446
|
|
|
|-
|24
|{{npby|2008}}
|1
|{{sortname|Terry|Collins}},<br />{{sortname|Daijiro|Oishi}}
|144
|75
|68
|1
|.524
|
|
|1 ([[2008 Pacific League Climax Series|2008]])
|-
|25
|{{npby|2009}}
|1
|{{sortname|Daijiro|Oishi}}
|144
|56
|86
|2
|.394
|
|
|
|-
|26
|{{npby|2010}}–{{npby|2012}}
|3
|{{sortname|Akinobu|Okada}}
|432
|195
|216
|21
|.474
|
|
|
|-
|27
|{{npby|2013}}–{{npby|2015}}
|3
|{{sortname|Hiroshi|Moriwaki}}
|431
|207
|215
|9
|.491
|
|
|1 ([[2014 Pacific League Climax Series|2014]])
|-
|28
|{{npby|2016}}–{{npby|2018}}
|3
|{{sortname|Junichi|Fukura}}
|429
|185
|235
|9
|.440
|
|
|
|-
|29
|{{npby|2019}}–{{npby|2020}}
|3
|{{sortname|Norifumi|Nishimura}}
|263
|106
|143
|14
|.426
|
|
|
|-
|30
|{{npby|2021}}–{{npby|2024}}
|4
|{{sortname|Satoshi|Nakajima}}
|639
|324
|285
|30
|.532
||3 ([[2021 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2021]], [[2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2022]], [[2023 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2023]]) 
|1 ([[2022 Japan Series|2022]])
|3 ([[2021 Japan Series|2021]], [[2022 Japan Series|2022]], [[2023 Nippon Professional Baseball season|2023]])
|- class="sortbottom"
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| '''Totals'''
! 86 seasons !! !! 24 managers !!11,250!!5,543!!5,297 !!410!!.511!!14 times!!4 times!!9 times
|}
* Statistics current through the end of the {{npby|2023}} season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://npb.jp/bis/teams/yearly_b.html|title=Nippon Professional Baseball オリックス・バファローズ 年度別成績 (1936–2021)|language=ja-JP|work=[[Nippon Professional Baseball|NPB.jp]]|accessdate=August 19, 2021|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819145123/https://npb.jp/bis/teams/yearly_b.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Theme song ==
The Buffaloes' current theme song is "[[:ja:SKY (MEGA STOPPERの曲)|Sky]]" by Japanese band [[:ja:MEGA STOPPER|Mega Stopper]]. The song was first used in 2005. Another version that is used is sung by the club's cheerleading squad, BsGirls.

==Mascots==
;1981 until 1990
:*{{Nihongo|Bravey|ブレービー|}} #100, a large bird
:*{{Nihongo|Yuta|勇太|}} #101, a younger bird
:*{{Nihongo|Braves Boy|ブレーブス坊や|}}, a baseball-headed warrior

;1991 until 2010
:*{{Nihongo|Neppie|ネッピー|}} #111, a young boy
:*{{Nihongo|Ripsea|リプシー|}} #222, a young girl

;since 2011
:*{{Nihongo|Buffalo Bull|バッファローブル|}} #111, a male hybrid of oryx and buffalo, Bell's brother
:*{{Nihongo|Buffalo Bell|バッファローベル|}} #222, a female hybrid of oryx and buffalo, Bull's sister

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.buffaloes.co.jp/ Official website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Orix Buffaloes|state=expanded}}
{{Japanese Professional Baseball}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Orix Buffaloes| ]]
[[Category:Baseball teams established in 1936]]
[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball teams]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Kobe]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Osaka]]
[[Category:1936 establishments in Japan]]