Tatsuya Imai Showcased Exactly Why the Astros Signed Him on Saturday

The Houston Astros made a sneaky-elite addition to their rotation early this year, and it's already paying dividends. The former NPB Japanese superstar pitcher Tatsuya Imai signed a three-year $54 million deal to come to the states at 27 years old, and that big contract may be a steal.

On Saturday afternoon, Imai threw an elite scoreless 5.2 innings in the Astros dominant route of the Athletics. He struck out nine, allowed just three hits, and walked three. In a game where the starter was given the luxury of minimal stress, Imai didn't need the added support. He began to lose his command and was unable to record the final out in the sixth, but prior to that, his stuff was elite.

This start was long in the making, not only because of the long offseason, but Imai's first outing didn't go well. He allowed four runs on three hits, and walked four over 2.2 innings. He threw 74 pitches in his first outing and failed to record nine outs.

Tatsuya Imai's Wrong Way Slider. 🤪

13 inches arm side run. pic.twitter.com/sFYc1Hm1tQ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 4, 2026

The Astros juggernaut offense bailed him out with nine runs, which won the game, but Imai's opener didn't go as planned. If things continued to go south, Houston has a plethora of starting options they could go to.

With Hunter Brown, Christian Javier, Mike Burrows, and Lance McCullers holding down the other spots, Ronel Blanco and Brandon Walter on the injured list, and three top prospects in Triple-A, the Astros could replace anyone who falters.

Astros Seeing Exactly Why Tatsuya Imai Is Worth Every Penny

Mar 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai (45) high fives trainer Stephanie Grubbs as he walks f — Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Thankfully, so far that hasn't been the case for Imai.

Over his last four seasons in the NPB, his highest ERA was 2.45 over 24 games. He owned a 3.15 ERA over eight seasons in the NPB, with three All-Star appearances and a combined no-hitter under his belt overseas. He boasts a fastball, slider, splitter, and curveball and can get a strikeout with any of his pitches.

The Astros improved to 6-3 after their win on Saturday night, and are still atop the American League West. With how they're hitting and the elite and deep pitching, there's no surprise for such early-season success. For Imai, he must keep up the good work, but things are looking good.

If he struggles for an extended period of time, the contract won't keep him in the rotation forever. For now, Houston fans have nothing to worry about, especially after seeing what he's capable of so early in the season.