Which NPB player best suits the Blue Jays needs for 2026 and beyond?

"Scouts are comparing Imai to Kodai Senga, who signed with the Mets for five years and $75 million prior to the 2023 season. Senga was an All-Star in his first year in MLB but has dealt with injuries on and off for the last two seasons. When he's been healthy, he's been very good, as he's been worth 6.7 bWAR with a 3.00 ERA, 320 strikeouts and 285 innings pitched in 52 games."

"He utilizes a four pitch mix and all four pitches could play well in MLB, but the knock is that Imai struggles with his command. He's posted a 4.40 BB/9 over his eight seasons of professional baseball in Japan. At 27-years-old, Imai should still have tons of gas in the tank and the fact that Toronto already has a dominant top three suits them well if they want to pursue Imai."

Three Nippon Professional Baseball players—Kazuma Okamoto, Muetaka Murakami, and Tatsuya Imai—will be posted this offseason and are drawing MLB interest. All three present potential impact and carry distinct concerns that teams must weigh. Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old right-hander, draws comparisons to Kodai Senga after consecutive seasons of 160+ innings, at least 170 strikeouts, and sub-2.40 ERAs. Imai posted a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 163.2 innings in 2025 and offers a four-pitch mix projectable to MLB. Command remains a concern, evidenced by a 4.40 BB/9 across eight professional seasons.

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