Quick Info
| Profession | Professional Baseball Pitcher |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Date of Birth | 09/05/1998 |
| Age | 28 years |
| Birthplace | Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan |
Latest News about Tatsuya Imai
10/11/2025
The Saitama Seibu Lions officially posted Tatsuya Imai to MLB, opening the 27-year-old starter's signing window until January 2, 2026. This move makes him the second Lions pitcher posted that offseason, following Kona Takahashi. Imai had a breakout 2025 season with a 1.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and career-best 27.8% strikeout rate over 163.2 innings.
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Bio/Wiki
| Tatsuya Imai is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). | |
| He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Saitama Seibu Lions, making his NPB debut in 2018. | |
| Imai is a three-time NPB All-Star and attended Sakushin Gakuin High School. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 5' 11" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 176 lbs |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
Career
| NPB Debut | 2018 |
|---|---|
| NPB Team | Saitama Seibu Lions |
| NPB All-Star | 3 times (2023, 2024, 2025) |
| 2025 NPB Stats | 10-5, 1.92 ERA, 0.892 WHIP, 178 SO, 163.2 IP, 24 G (5 CG, 3 SHO) |
| MLB Debut | 29/03/2026 |
| MLB Team | Houston Astros |
| 2026 MLB Stats | 1-0, 7.27 ERA, 2.08 WHIP, 13 SO in 8.2 IP |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Led NPB in FIP and strikeout minus walk rate in 2025 | |
| 2. Threw a combined no-hitter in 2025 | |
| 3. Set Seibu Lions single-game strikeout record with 17 K in June 2025 | |
| 4. Projected MLB contract: ~$190 million over 8 years | |
| 5. Features a unique 'wrong way slider' that moves to the arm side with -2.4 inches of horizontal break at 86.3 mph | |
| 6. Averages 94.8 mph fastball with plus command, 13.5 inches vertical break and 14.7 inches horizontal break | |
| 7. Posted by Saitama Seibu Lions on 10/11/2025, signing window closed 02/01/2026 |