Major League Baseball has seen an influx of overseas talent flooding into the sport at a high rate since the the mid-1990s thanks to the league's market investment and the rise of stardom of players like Shohei Ohtani.
This winter is no different, as five of the offseason's most prized free agents coming from the Nippon Professional Baseball League, including 27-year-old pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
Imai has spent the last nine seasons in Japan, beginning as a 19-year-old with the Seibu Lions. In 2025, he recorded a 1.92 ERA, 178 strikeouts, 45 walks, 0.89 WHIP and a 10-5 record in 163.