Japanese righty Tatsuya Imai is ready to help Astros

HOUSTON – Everything is bigger in Texas, and Tatsuya Imai’s smile may have been the biggest Monday afternoon, stretching from the moment he entered the Astros’ press conference room to the time he left Daikin Park.

Astros owner Jim Crane, general manager Dana Brown, manager Joe Espada, Imai’s agent Scott Boras, and translator Kevin Ando walked alongside Imai to the podium. Brown spoke briefly before presenting Imai with his Astros jersey and hat. 

When it was time for Imai to speak with the media, he smiled before picking up his phone, knowing it was the first time he would be introduced as a Major League Baseball player.

’What’s up, H-Town’

“What’s up, H-Town,” Imai said smiling. “I’m Tatsuya Imai. I’m ready to chase and win a championship. Let’s go, Houston. Thank you so much.”

Imai and the Astros agreed to a deal on New Year’s Day. The next day, Houston made it official when Imai signed a three-year, $54 million contract running through the 2028 season.

The deal includes player opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons and could reach up to $63 million with incentives.

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Imai received multiple offers from other MLB clubs. However, Houston’s strong track record of reaching the postseason, including advancing to or winning the World Series, made the Astros a perfect destination.

The Astros missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2016. Therefore, the organization faced an unfamiliar October, a month typically spent preparing for a deep playoff run. 

Imai and the Astros have the same goal in common: win the World Series.

World Series goals

“Obviously I had a privilege to have other offers on the table,” Imai said. “But at the end of the day I truly believed that here in Houston (with the Astros) I might be able to seriously take a shot at the World Series, make a run, and thought this would be the best fit for myself.”

Imai was an All-Star in his last season with the Seibu Lions in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. The NPB star finished with a 10-5 record, a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, while striking out 178 batters in 24 games. Imai averaged 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) while cutting his walk rate to a career-low 2.5.

The three-time NPB All-Star features a four-seam fastball that averages 95–99 mph, a deceptive slider with a 46% swing-and-miss rate, along with a changeup, splitter, “Vulcan” changeup (that acts like a sinker), and a curveball.

“We like his rhythm and timing,” Brown said of Imai’s mechanics and delivery. “I think it allows him to manipulate the ball and get the ball to move a lot in the strikezone, which I think is going to be very beneficial to him as a pitcher, and I think he’ll give a lot of hitters fits.”

Imai will have to adjust to the majors. Potentially pitching on fewer days of rest and getting familiar with the pitch clock. Japan does not condemn a time in the NPB.

Following Yusei Kikuchi

A Japanese pitcher who is familiar with the pitch clock is former Astro Yusei Kikuchi. The Japanese southpaw had a lot of success in his short stint in Houston and left a great impression on Boras.

Kikuchi was acquired by the Astros at the 2024 trade deadline. In 10 games, the two-time All-Star finished with a 5-1 record, 2.70 ERA, a .188 opponent batting average, and 76 strikeouts.

Kikuchi, who is also represented by Boras, had immediately congratulated Imai on his contract with the Astros, and mentioned if he needed anything to contact him.

Imai is the fourth Japanese-born player to join the Astros, following Kaz Matsui (2008-10), Norichika Aoki (2017) and Kikuchi (2024). Imai is the first Japanese player in Astros franchise history to be acquired during a posting from the NPB.

This will not be the last time Houston takes a dive into acquiring players from Asia, Crane predicts. As of now, the Astros have scouts located in Taiwan, Tokyo and Seoul. Furthermore, Crane mentioned the chief marketing officer of Daikin, Takayuki Inoue, was a crucial part and made it possible to get the deal done with Imai.

Astros look to Asia

“We got scouts over there and people assisting to identify talent over there now,” Crane said. “We just made that adjustment there this summer. Probably didn’t have much to deal with this one, but it’ll have a lot to do moving forward as we work on those markets to try to bring the great players here to Houston.”

Imai stated in an interview in Japan that he had no intention of joining the Dodgers, more than anything he wanted to take them down. The Dodgers feature a trio of Japanese stars: Roki Sasaki, 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani. Imai played alongside all three during the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Team Japan.

Nevertheless, some Japanese players want to make a name for themselves without joining the juggernaut Dodgers. Slugger Munetaka Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. Infielder Kazuma Okamoto signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Imai could pave the way for more Asian players to sign with the Houston Astros in the near future.

“The Dodgers kind of led the way there, and I’ve got an international company,” Crane said. “So it was pretty easy to set up quickly there and give those guys a place to work. We’ll be moving pretty fast in Asia.”