Cubs Went Overseas to Scout Kaima Taira, Japan's Best Starting Pitcher

The Chicago Cubs are keeping a close eye on the latest Japanese sensation.

Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; The Nippon Professional Baseball Organization logo is affixed to the back of the jersey of Hanshin Tigers designated hitter Ukyo Maegawa (58) before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Cubs may be in the thick of a playoff race, but the scouting never stops!

According to Japanese baseball reporter Yakyu Cosmopolitan, the Cubs were among a handful of teams that flew overseas to watch Kaima Taira in action. They were joined by their South Side rivals, as well as the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, and Detroit Tigers.

MLB scouts from the Yankees, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, Angels, Tigers, Padres, and White Sox were reportedly in attendance last night to watch Seibu Lions ace Kaima Taira throw 7 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts while averaging 97.3 mph on his fastball. pic.twitter.com/z359RwPBH5

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) August 26, 2026

Taira is a 26-year-old pitching sensation who has been on a tear in recent years. He is in the thick of a career season, recording a 10-3 record in his 19 outings with a league-leading 1.46 ERA in the Nippon Baseball League. He is currently suiting up for the Saitama Seibu Lions and has an incredible 109 strikeouts through 117 innings pitched thus far.

Despite standing only five-foot-eight, Taira appears to get quite an impressive velocity behind his throws. He apparently touches 96+ mph with his fastball and couples that with a sharp cutter. More importantly, however, he has multiple other pitches that he turns to depending on whether a righty or lefty is on the mound.

Speaking of which, Taira's K rate against righties is as high as 28.0 percent, while his ground ball rate is over 50.0 percent no matter which side of the plate his opponent is on. One has to imagine that stat, in particular, is what has really grabbed the Cubs' attention.

In the performance the Cubs were at this week, Taira went 7.0 innings deep and faced 28 batters. He didn't allow a single run and struck out nine batters in the process, allowing six hits on the evening.

Behold, the Sea Demon, King Kaima Taira 🌊👑

The 26-year-old covers the velo band exceptionally well with an Ohtani-esque mix: a 96+ mph low-ride fastball to go with a nasty cutter and a plethora of secondaries 🔥

Career 1.82 ERA in 563 IP as both a reliever and starter 🦁 https://t.co/qKmcaPQvSW pic.twitter.com/X9rgrRs0YN

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) August 26, 2026

Does any of this guarantee that Kaima Taira will be headed to the States in the very near future? No, but he's clearly made a name for himself and is now seriously on the MLB radar.

Of course, this also isn't the first time the Cubs have attempted to lock in on an overseas standout early on. They have repeatedly been in the mix for some of the top names from the Nippon League, and we all know they are in need of long-term pitching help in the starting rotation.

Shota Imanaga has been enough of a success story for the organization to keep close tabs on the NPB's best arms. Not to mention, it never hurts to have a success story like him to pitch to someone like Taira if he does become a primary free-agent target this offseason.

Anyway, while Cubs fans shouldn't be getting their hopes up just yet, there is no question that Taira is a name to keep a close eye on. Whether the Cubs are in win-now mode or not, he is the kind of offseason target who could make a ton of sense.

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