4+ hour, 22+ min ago (436+ words) Tatsuya Imai isn't looking to join a superteam as he eyes a move to the MLB. He wants to challenge one. Fresh off a Sawamura Award season, the star right-hander says defeating a stacked club like the Dodgers would mean more than joining them. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has spent the last few seasons establishing himself as one of Nippon Professional Baseball's most reliable front-line pitchers. Now, as he explores a potential jump to Major League Baseball, he's making one thing clear: he isn't interested in simply joining a ready-made powerhouse; he wants to beat one. During a recent appearance on "Hodo Station," hosted by former MLB pitcher and two-time World Baseball Classic champion Daisuke Matsuzaka, Imai was asked about the possibility of playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki in Los Angeles. Many players from NPB have…...

4+ hour, 22+ min ago (384+ words) Tatsuya Imai isn't looking to join a superteam as he eyes a move to the MLB. He wants to challenge one. Fresh off a Sawamura Award season, the star right-hander says defeating a stacked club like the Dodgers would mean more than joining them. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has spent the last few seasons establishing himself as one of Nippon Professional Baseball's most reliable front-line pitchers. Now, as he explores a potential jump to Major League Baseball, he's making one thing clear: he isn't interested in simply joining a ready-made powerhouse; he wants to beat one. During a recent appearance on "Hodo Station," hosted by former MLB pitcher and two-time World Baseball Classic champion Daisuke Matsuzaka, Imai was asked about the possibility of playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki in Los Angeles. Many players from NPB have…...

6+ hour, 21+ min ago (471+ words) When the news broke that Seibu Lions ace Tatsuya Imai was posted, many Major League fans had one question: Would he also want to join the Dodgers? After all, not only is Los Angeles arguably the closest flight back to Japan, but he'd be able to join fellow countrymen Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki to help L.A. push for a third consecutive World Series championship next year. Have no fear, fans of baseball's 29 other teams: Imai has no interest in forming a Miami Heat-esque superteam in Los Angeles. If anything, he wants to show off his skills and take those three down. Speaking with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station," Imai revealed a bit of a competitive edge. "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai told the former Major League pitcher and two-time World…...

6+ hour, 21+ min ago (471+ words) When the news broke that Seibu Lions ace Tatsuya Imai was posted, many Major League fans had one question: Would he also want to join the Dodgers? After all, not only is Los Angeles arguably the closest flight back to Japan, but he'd be able to join fellow countrymen Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki to help L.A. push for a third consecutive World Series championship next year. Have no fear, fans of baseball's 29 other teams: Imai has no interest in forming a Miami Heat-esque superteam in Los Angeles. If anything, he wants to show off his skills and take those three down. Speaking with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station," Imai revealed a bit of a competitive edge. "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai told the former Major League pitcher and two-time World…...

6+ hour, 55+ min ago (405+ words) MLB News: Tatsuya Imai expressed his strong desire to pitch against Shohei Ohtani in MLB, aiming to test his fastball's limits....

9+ hour, 31+ min ago (366+ words) Tatsuya Imai throws in the inning during the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship Final between South Korea and Japan in Tokyo. Gene Wang / Getty Images Not so fast, according to what Imai said in an interview with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station." "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki," Imai told the former Boston Red Sox and New York Mets starter, "But winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down." "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. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I…...

11+ hour, 25+ min ago (352+ words) November 24, 2025 04:10PM EDT Some fans in the MLB have colloquially dubbed the Los Angeles Dodgers the "Los Japanese Dodgers" due to their strong foundation of Japanese players, including superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. However, this dynamic could shift with the emergence of Japan's newest baseball sensation, Tatsuya Imai, who has recently been posted for MLB consideration. In an interview with TV Asahi, Imai expressed a distinct preference for a team that does not have any Japanese players. He stated, "If there are Japanese people, they will tell you anything you ask them, right? But that's not what I'm hoping for. In a way, I want to experience a sense of survival," reflecting his desire for an authentic and independent experience in MLB, should he join the league. Consequently, the Dodgers may not be in Imai's future plans, leaving room…...

14+ hour, 14+ min ago (421+ words) Tatsuya Imai did a live interview on Japanese TV earlier today, and the Yankees were probably happy to hear some of the comments the right-handed pitcher made. In this interview, he mentioned that not only would he prefer to join an MLB team without a Japanese player, but he also mentioned that he'd want to beat the Dodgers; not join them: "I want to take them down'I think beating a team like that and becoming World Champions would be the most valuable thing in my life." During the 2025 season Imai was one of the top pitchers in Japan, sportijng a 1.92 ERA and striking out over 27% of batters faced, and he could get a serious payday this upcoming winter. Unlike with Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki, who wanted nothing to do with the Yankees it seems, and even Yoshinobu Yamamoto who…...

16+ hour, 52+ min ago (411+ words) Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai was posted by the Seibu Lions earlier this month, opening the door for the starter to transition from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to MLB. Since then, questions have arisen on which roster the star pitcher could end up on. Some have pitched the Los Angeles Dodgers " a team already filled with Japanese stars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki " as a potential landing spot. But it looks like Imai is not as on board with the idea. In an interview on Japanese news program "Hodo Station," Imai said that he would rather beat the star-studded Dodgers roster than play with them. "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai said, via MLB.com, "but winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing…...

17+ hour, 21+ min ago (376+ words) The Los Angeles Dodgers will not be the ones to win the Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes. The Seibu Lions ace made it clear that he isn't looking to join other Japanese players. Imai also specifically claimed he doesn't want the Dodgers. He wants to beat them, to prove his merits as a competitor. And he specifically wants to face off against Shohei Ohtani. Imai shared respect for Ohtani, but challenged him in multiple ways while speaking with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station." "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki, but winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down," Imai said. "If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything,…...