The Astros made their first big splash back in January by signing Japanese star Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old right-handed starting pitcher. Yesterday, in the first game of Spring Training, his live pitching session drew serious attention.
Yesterday, he admitted it finally hit him that he was in the Major Leagues.
All eyes were locked in on Tatsuya Imai as he faced hitters for the first time since signing with Houston. What is usually a quiet session on a back mound turned into a headline-grabbing moment. Everyone was watching every pitch.
Imai admitted he was nervous, and honestly, who wouldn’t be? After getting Nick Allen to ground out on three pitches, he looked up and saw José Altuve in the box. That is when the nerves probably really kicked in, and the MLB reality set in as he faced veteran All-Star and Astros favorite José Altuve.
He wasted no time settling in. Imai got Altuve to swing and miss at his first pitch and then induced a groundout. He followed that up by striking out Carlos Correa, Jake Meyers, and Taylor Trammell, throwing just 17 pitches to five hitters.
Imai did not let the nerves affect his performance, and veteran José Altuve walked away impressed. It was a strong first impression for arguably the Astros’ most exciting offseason addition.
The Astros are still learning Imai’s routine, but one thing is clear after his first live BP: he is going to command attention every time he takes the mound this spring.