Tokyo — Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai made his ambitions crystal clear. His stated career goal is a big boost for the New York Yankees and a snub to the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles team have dominated the Japanese market in recent years. They landed Shohei Ohtani. They signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They added Roki Sasaki. The pipeline from Nippon Professional Baseball to Los Angeles seemed unbreakable. Imai just shattered that assumption.
The 27-year-old ace was posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions on Nov. 19 and immediately became one of the most coveted arms on the market. His 45-day negotiating window runs through Jan. 2. Teams across the league are lining up. But Los Angeles apparently is not in the running.
“I’d rather take them down,” Imai said with a chuckle during an interview with Japanese legend Daisuke Matsuzaka on Japan’s TV Asahi program “Hodo Station.”
A competitor’s mentality sets the ace apart
Imai could have taken the easy road. He could have joined a rotation featuring three of Japan’s biggest stars. He chose differently.
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki,” Imai said during the interview. “But winning against a team like that and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in my life.”
His mindset mirrors that of Matsuzaka, who left Japan in 2007 with similar goals. The two discussed how Matsuzaka was more drawn to facing Ichiro Suzuki than teaming with him when he signed with Boston. Imai carries that same fire. The Yankees could benefit from that competitive edge.
When asked who he most wants to face in the majors, his answer came without hesitation.
“It’s Shohei Ohtani,” Imai said. “I really want to test how far my fastball can go against him.”
Yankees emerge as the clear frontrunner
The New York Yankees have not had a Japanese player on their roster since Masahiro Tanaka left after the 2020 season. That Yankees drought could end soon.
General manager Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees are pursuing Imai. He spoke with agent Scott Boras at the GM meetings earlier this month.
“We have been very aggressive in the more recent market, but fell short,” Cashman said. “Those players made the decision to go play for the Dodgers. So I’m interested in gravitating to any player anywhere in the world, including Japan.”
The Yankees lost out on Yamamoto two years ago. They missed on Sasaki last offseason. Imai represents the Yankees’ best chance in years to re-establish their presence in the Japanese market.
Imai also revealed a preference that works in the Yankees’ favor. He wants to join a team without a Japanese player on the roster.
“If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?” Imai said. “But that’s actually not what I’m looking for. I want to experience that sense of survival.”
The Yankees fit that description perfectly. They need rotation help. They offer the biggest stage in baseball.
Imai’s numbers demand attention
Imai finished the 2025 NPB season with a 1.92 ERA across 163⅔ innings. He struck out 178 batters while walking just 45. His career spans 159 games with the Lions, where he posted a 3.15 ERA.
The 5-foot-11, 154-pound hurler developed into one of Japan’s elite starters since 2021. He made three NPB All-Star teams and participated in a combined no-hitter last season. Those are the numbers that have the Yankees interested.
His fastball sits between 93 and 97 mph and can touch 99. His slider produced a 53 percent whiff rate in 2025.
“When most teams talk to me about Imai, they say, ‘Oh, my,'” Boras said at the GM meetings. “He’s that kind of guy. I think when you watch him pitch, he leaves an indelible mark on you.”
One National League evaluator told The Athletic that Imai is a “super athlete” with stuff in “the same ballpark” as Yamamoto.
His approach makes him unique
Imai understands his physical limitations. He stands shorter than most major league starters but adapted his game accordingly.
“My best pitch is probably my fastball,” Imai said. “The key is not aiming low. I’m always trying to throw it up in the zone.”
His rising fastball from a low arm slot creates deception that his frame alone cannot.
Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata mentioned him as a player he wants on the national team at the World Baseball Classic this spring.
“He was great before,” Ibata said. “But he’s picked it up another notch.”
The clock is ticking for Yankees
The Yankees know the stakes. Their rotation faces uncertainty heading into 2026. Adding Imai would provide immediate stability for the Yankees pitching staff.
MLB Trade Rumors projects Imai to land a contract worth $150 million over six years. His signing team will also owe a posting fee worth tens of millions to the Lions.
Boras said Imai is “geographically open” with no particular leaning toward the West Coast. That separates him from recent Japanese stars who flocked to Los Angeles.
The Yankees paid a heavy price for missing on Yamamoto and Sasaki. They watched the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles. Imai offers the Yankees a chance to reverse that trend.
His goal is simple. He wants to beat the best. The Yankees just might give him that chance.
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