Pronounces his name as "TOT-sue-yah" "ee-MY"...Attended Sakushin Gakuin High School in Utsunomiya, Japan...represented Japan in the 2016 U-18 Asia Baseball Championship, where he allowed one run in five innings in the final game to help Japan win Gold... Started in the Gold Medal game of the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, in which Japan defeated South Korea, 4-3...Will become the fourth notable Japanese-born player to play for the Astros, joining Kaz Matsui (2008-10), Norichika Aoki (2017) and Yusei Kikuchi (2024)…Imai knows Matsui well, having played for him from 2023-24, while he was managing in the NPB with the Seibu Lions...Imai will wear jersey number 45...he says it's in honor of two of his favorite pitchers, former Astros great RHP Gerrit Cole and the Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler, who both also wear No. 45...Signed a three-year contract with the Astros on Jan. 2, 2026...the contract includes player opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
2025
In 2025 with the Seibu Lions, he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35 ER/163.2 IP)...also recorded 178 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP...in the NPB, he ranked tied for first in WHIP, second in strikeouts, sixth in ERA and 10th in starts (24)...was selected as an All-Star for the second consecutive season... struck out a club record 17 hitters on June 17 vs. the Yokohama DeNa Baystars...also tossed eight innings of a combined no-hitter on April 18 vs. Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
2024
Made 25 appearances with Seibu in 2024...recorded a 2.34 ERA (45 ER/173.1 IP) with 187 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP...in the NPB, he ranked first in strikeouts, sixth in innings and eighth in opponent average (.207), was selected to his second career All-Star Game...in the NPB All-Star Game 2, he closed out the game, allowed two runs in two innings.
2023
Appeared in 19 games with Seibu in 2023...posted a 2.30 ERA (34 ER/133 IP) with 130 strikeouts and a 1.11 WHIP...in the NPB, he ranked ninth in ERA... also started the Gold Medal game of the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, but received a no-decision in Japan's 4-3 win over South Korea.
2022
Missed a majority of the 2022 season due to a left ankle injury...made nine appearances for the Seibu Lions, recording a 2.41 ERA (16 ER/59.2 IP) with 61 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP...following the 2022 season, he changed his jersey number to 40 in order to honor veteran Shota Takekuma, who retired after the 2022 season.
2021
Earned his first All-Star selection in 2021 after recording a 3.30 ERA (58 ER/158.1 IP) with 137 strikeouts, a .215 opponent batting average and a 1.40 WHIP...in the NPB, he ranked sixth in opponent batting average and eighth in strikeouts....tossed two scoreless innings in the 2021 NPB All-Star Game 1.
2020
Made 19 appearances with Seibu in 2020...posted a 6.13 ERA (42 ER/61.2 IP) with 44 strikeouts.
2019
In his second season in the NPB in 2019, he recorded a 4.32 ERA (65 ER/135.1 IP) with 105 strikeouts.
2018
Made his NPB debut with Seibu in 2018...went 5-6 with a 4.97 ERA (46 ER/83.1 IP) with 70 strikeouts... received one for the 2018 Pacific League Rookie of the Year.
2016-17
Was selected in the first round of the 2016 NPB Draft, but spent his 2017 rookie season in the NPB Farm Leagues due to a right shoulder injury.
