BA Tatsuya Imai, RHP BA Grade: 60 | Risk: Low | Adjusted: 60 Born: May 9, 1998 | B-T: R-R | HT: 5-11 | WT: 154 Track Record: After winning the 2016 Summer Koshien tournament with Sakushin Gakuin, Imai made the jump directly from high school to Japanese professional baseball. He was drafted by the Seibu Lions with their first pick and spent his debut season with their Eastern League affiliate, the equivalent of Japan’s minor leagues. He broke in with Seibu’s first team in 2018 and saw mixed results over his first three seasons. He established himself as one of the top pitchers in the NPB in 2021, earning his first all-star nod. Imai was an all-star twice more in 2024 and 2025 and finished in the top 10 among starters in ERA each of his final two seasons with Seibu. Imai helped combine for a Lions no-hitter on April 18, 2025, throwing the first eight innings. On Nov. 18, 2025, Seibu posted Imai to MLB teams. Scouting Report: Imai is an undersized righthander who’s explosive and mobile on the mound. His low three-quarters slot borders on sidearm and creates a unique approach angle to the plate that creates deception and keeps hitters off balance. Imai throws four pitches, but his primary mix consists of a four-seam fastball, slider and splitter. His four-seamer sits at 95-97 and touches 98-99 at peak with a flat plane of approach and heavy armside run. The fastball is particularly effective when located in the upper third and has been adept at generating swings and misses. Imai’s slider is his best pitch and his primary swing-and-miss weapon. It has a gyro shape, sits 85-87 and touches 88-89 with late downshift that creates unique armside movement. The combination of Imai’s low arm slot, above-average velocity and late armside break make his slider a unique offering. The splitter is Imai’s third pitch, and it features good vertical separation off his fastball and heavy armside run to work as a swing-and-miss pitch in opposite-handed matchups. Imai threw a curveball around 2% of the time in 2025, and it featured spin rates in the 2500-2600 rpm range along with around 8-9 inches of sweep. There’s a real possibility a team adds a sweeper to his arsenal. Imai struggled to throw strikes early in his career, but he has seen consistent gains in that department in each of the last four seasons. He now projects for average control. The Future: Imai is a ready-made No. 3 MLB starter who should make an impact immediately. Scouting Grades: FB: 55 | CB: 40 | SL: 60 | CH: 55 | CTL: 50