Tatsuya Imai

Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai returned from early-season right arm fatigue and bullpen rehab sessions to log 23 appearances and 15 starts, finishing the 76.2-inning campaign with a 4.93 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 97 strikeouts, and 51 walks while also combining with relievers for a no-hitter against the Rangers.

Tatsuya Imai is an electric, highly deceptive 5'11" right handed starting pitcher originating from Kanuma, Japan. After a dominant eight-year tenure in Nippon Professional Baseball serving as a frontline ace, Imai officially made the jump to Major League Baseball, signing a high-AAV deal with the Houston Astros. Armed with a blazing upper-90s fastball, a high spin slider, and a devastating split-fingered fastball, Imai flashed front-of-the-rotation potential early in his debut season, highlighted by tossing six flawless innings in a combined no-hitter against Texas. Though he is still actively refining his command to manage big league walk percentages and navigating some rotation adjustments, his massive swing-and-miss stuff generates elite strikeout metrics.