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Japanese Pitcher Tatsuya Imai Eyes MLB Rivalry by January

11/25/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher from Japan, declared his intention to pursue MLB free agency after being posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions, aiming to sign by January 2.
He expressed a desire to compete against Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, saying, “I want to take them down.”
In the 2025 season, he posted a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts.
He features a fastball at 99 mph and a strong slider.

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Story summary

Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher from Japan, declared his intention to pursue MLB free agency after being posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions, aiming to sign by January 2.
He expressed a desire to compete against Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, saying, “I want to take them down.”
In the 2025 season, he posted a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts.
He features a fastball at 99 mph and a strong slider.