*This content was translated by AI.
Houston Astros starter Tatsuya Imai (28) gave the green light to enter the rotation with a good pitch every day.
Imai started against the Miami Marlins in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) exhibition game held at Roger Dean Chabore Stadium in Miami, Florida on the 6th (Korea time) and recorded one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts in two innings.
Houston lost 0-2 due to a batting lineup that was tied to one hit in total. But Imai's pitch was positive enough. On this day, Imai threw a total of 30 pitches, including 14 fastball, 11 sliders and 5 change-ups. It averaged 94.9 miles per hour (about 152.7 kilometers) and up to 96.5 miles (about 155.3 kilometers), with 19 strikes.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Christopher Morell allowed a hit to the left. However, Imai actively targeted Griffin Conine in the strike zone and struck out three pitches to gain momentum. Even if Morell stole second base, the momentum continued. He threw a slider against Connor Novi to draw a series of swings and misses and to induce strikeouts with his outside fastball. When it was not possible, he drew a swing and miss with a slider again, struck out, and finished the first inning without losing a point.
The strikeout streak continued in the second inning. Imai struck out a foul tip to first batter Graeme Foley. He threw the top of the strike zone in a row to make two strikes and one ball in an instant, and then dropped the slider again to pull out the bat.
The match against Esteuri Ruiz was the most regrettable. He took two strikes with an outside fastball and a slider, but Ruiz was rarely tricked by the catch. In the end, Imai shook first and gave his first walk. Ruiz even stole second base and bothered Imai. However, he completed two scoreless innings of pitching by catching Joe Mack and Maximo Acosta with a fly ball to right field and a ground ball to second base, respectively.
As a result, Imai pitched one scoreless inning in his debut game and two consecutive games. Imai succeeded in entering the Major League this winter through the posting system.
Imai is a right-handed fireballer with an average fastball speed of 94.9 miles per hour (about 152.7 kilometers) and a maximum of 100 miles (about 160 kilometers), and his excellent change-up against left-handed hitters was considered attractive. Since his debut with the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Seibu Lions in 2017, he has won 58 games (45 losses). As a case of rapid improvement in skills over the past three years, he has won 10 games in the last three years in a row and recorded a career high with an ERA of 1.52 last year.
This winter, he signed a contract with Houston at a relatively low price of up to 63 million U.S. dollars for three years. Initially, it was expected to be $100 million (about 147.5 billion won), but it left open the possibility of a large contract by receiving an opt-out clause every year (breaking the contract due to the exercise of FA rights during the contract period).
At the same time, he was also considered a strong competitor to Ryan Weiss (30), who signed a contract with Houston and is seeking to enter the starting lineup. Weiss, a native of the U.S. independent league, achieved his dream of entering the big league by playing for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korean KBO League.
Weiss marked 16-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 178 ⅔ innings in 30 games last year, leading Hanwha to advance to the Korean Series. After the season, he is somewhat behind in the selection competition on the condition that he has a team option of $5 million (about 7.4 billion won) in 2027 with a one-year guarantee of $2.5 million (about 3.7 billion won) with Houston.
Currently, the U.S. media FanGraphs also classifies Imai-Lance McCullers Jr. and Mike Burrows as major contenders along with Weiss, with Hunter Brown and Christian Xavier as two one-two punches.
Weiss' debut in the exhibition game wasn't bad either. On the 27th of last month, he held a successful starting showcase against the New York Mets with one hit, two walks, and zero strikeouts in two ⅓ innings.
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*This content was translated by AI.
