Tatsuya Imai has had one of the most up-and-down starts to a season you will see. He came in as one of the most highly anticipated new pitchers in the MLB, but quickly found himself dealing with command issues and a stint on the IL with arm fatigue. On top of that, he has openly discussed how difficult the adjustment to life in the US has been.
That was until last week.
Last week, Tatsuya Imai finally showed up. Not only was it an outstanding performance, it was a historic one. For the first time all season, Tatsuya Imai looked like the pitcher everyone expected.
In the series opener against the Texas Rangers, Imai gave Houston exactly what they have been waiting for all season. Imai pitched 6 innings of a combined no-hitter and was followed up by Steven Okert and Alimber Santa to complete the first no-hitter in MLB since 2024.
Here is a breakdown of Imai's performance in the historic no-hitter, per MLB.
May 25 @ Rangers: IP: 6.0, H: 0, R: 0, ER: 0, HR: 0, BB: 4, SO: 2, ERA: 0.00
Imai starts the series finale Sunday against Jacob Misiorowski, and it is not an easy draw for the Japanese right-hander. Imai's current record sits at 2-2 with a 6.17 ERA, but the no-hitter outing gave him a much-needed confidence boost, which will be key as he faces Misiorowski.
The question is whether he can build on that momentum.
So, why is Misiorowski so dangerous? To start, taking a look at his stats, not only are the numbers good, but they blow Imai out of the water.
Misiorowski is just 24 years old and made his MLB debut on June 12, 2025 for the Brewers. He was an All-Star in his very first season and has only gotten better.
2026 stats: 5-2, 1.83 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 100 strikeouts in 64 innings, per MLB.
He was the first pitcher in MLB to reach 100 strikeouts this season, leads baseball in strikeouts per nine innings (14.1) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.8). He is considered a frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award.
Misiorowski is one of the best pitchers in baseball right now, but Imai has shown he can be dominant when he is on, and the no-hitter proved that.
The key for Imai is command. If he can throw strikes and limit walks, and if the offense shows up, the Astros have a serious chance to take another series.
