"The 27-year-old projects as a third starter -- think an ERA in the mid-3.00s -- but there's still some risk for him to even hit that projection since the big leagues are still a step up from Japan's NPB. Imai is not that big, standing 5-foot-11, and though he has above-average control now, that hasn't always been the case. His walk rate was 5.1 BB/9 in 2022, then 4.1 in 2023, 3.6 in 2024 and 2.5 in 2025."
"I worded it that way because his slider is a unique pitch as it doesn't "slide," or, in other words, it averages arm-side movement (like a splitter/changeup does) rather than glove side movement (like a slider/curveball does). That might sound bad, but pitching is all about deception, and hitters don't expect a slider to move like that, which is part of the reason the pitch performed well last season, garnering a 45% miss rate and a .212 xwOBA allowed."
Several high-profile Japanese players are available in MLB through posting and free agency for the 2025-26 offseason. Three primary targets are RHP Tatsuya Imai and infielders Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, all projected to play in MLB in 2026. Imai, 27, profiles as a third starter with a mid-3.00s ERA projection but carries risk because MLB is a step up from NPB. He is 5-foot-11, has steadily improved control (5.1 BB/9 in 2022 to 2.5 in 2025), a fastball that sits 93–97 mph and touches 99, an above-average splitter and an unusual slider that generates deception and strong miss and xwOBA metrics.
Read at ESPN.com
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