Every gift is a surprise, but some are completely unexpected. MLB teams looking to bolster their rosters with Japanese figures in the offseason received unthinkable news from Japan. During these dates of rumors and searches, a new name appeared among the options for Major League Baseball. It is a player who is looking to emulate Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
It was not expected that pitcher Tatsuya Imai of the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) would appear among the candidates to go to the United States for next season. Recently, Munetaka Murakami became the most sought-after Japanese jewel. No one else was being talked about until Imai appeared to raise his hand and attract the attention of MLB organizations’ scouting departments.
Contrary to what is thought about the potential and unquestionable level of the Japanese league, Tatsuya gave an interview translated by Cosmopolitan in which he expressed his frustration with baseball in his country. He did not hold back in pointing out that Japan is living “the dead ball era,” that is, that pitching and batting in general seek intentional plays to get players on base and thus avoid home run contact. It is a phenomenon with which Imai, one of the most respected pitchers in high-voltage duels, does not agree.
I didn’t always dream of going to MLB. But in the last two or three years I felt that there weren’t many hitters trying to hit a home run against me. Many lineups just fouled off and ran up my pitch count. I understand that’s part of the strategy, but if I were a fan, I don’t think that kind of baseball would be much fun to watch.
At 27 years of age, the pitcher believes he is at a good age to go to MLB and test himself against the best hitters in a league where home runs are prioritized. Desperate because of the crisis facing the NPB, Imai says that his time in Japanese baseball has reached its limit.
Personally, I love power versus power matchups.
The pitcher’s remarks alerted those MLB teams looking for Japanese talent for their rosters and to be on par with the levels shown by pitchers such as Ohtani and Yamamoto, as well as to compete with those who want to strengthen their rosters with Murakami.
The risk of backfiring
There is a step between saying and doing. In the event that Tatsuya is not signed by an MLB franchise, his immediate option for continuity is the NPB itself, the league he has criticised as “boring” and frustrating. Likewise, a section of the fans who do not agree with his view of things could receive him with hostility.
The numbers that attract from Imai
- Effectiveness of 1.92.
- 0.89 WHIP.
- 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings.
- His fastball reaches 95 miles per hour.
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