When it comes to recruiting players from Japan, the current iteration of the Los Angeles Dodgers stands alone.
Although the Dodgers always have a logistical advantage given that Los Angeles is the closest MLB city to Japan, they’ve reached a new pantheon as of late thanks to the presence of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
That was until Tatsuya Imai entered the picture.
In a recent interview with retired Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, Imai said that he had no interest in joining the Dodgers and was looking forward to beating them at some point during the 2025 season.