Seibu Lions agree to Tatsuya Imai's challenge to Major League Baseball; player expresses gratitude: "Thankful to the team for accepting my request"

NPB’s Saitama Seibu Lions declared on December 10 that they have formally approved their star pitcher Tatsuya Imai’s challenge to MLB via the posting system. This marks the second Seibu player this season, after Mitsunari Takahashi, to be authorized to head to the U.S.

Tatsuya Imai was selected in the first round of the 2016 draft from Sakushin Gakuin High School and joined the Seibu Lions. Upon his promotion to the first team in 2018, he achieved 5 wins. Since 2023, he has recorded double-digit wins for three consecutive years and was crowned the strikeout leader in 2024. This season, he appeared in 24 games, posting a 10-5 record, a 1.92 ERA, and 178 strikeouts. Over his NPB career, he has pitched in 159 games with a 58-45 record, a 3.15 ERA, and a total of 907 strikeouts. At 27 years old, in his prime, he is expected to attract strong interest from multiple MLB teams.

Imai combines a fastball reaching 160 km/h with a sharp slider, showcasing exceptional strikeout ability. This season, numerous MLB scouts have attended his games in person, with several team executives also coming to watch. According to ESPN’s offseason free agent rankings, Imai ranks fifth overall and is the highest-ranked Japanese player.

Koji Hiroike, Seibu Lions’ general manager, stated: "We believe this is the right time for him to take on the challenge of MLB, so we have decided to respect his wishes. We fully understand his strong desire to compete on American soil and look forward to seeing him demonstrate outstanding skills in the major leagues. Although his departure will affect the team, we will prepare for the new season by developing young players and adjusting the roster."

Imai himself issued a statement via the team: "I sincerely thank the organization for accepting my request. After many discussions, the management carefully considered various factors over a long period before reaching this decision, and I am deeply grateful. Until now, my goal has always been to win the league championship and become the best in Japan. Even if the team changes in the future, this belief will never waver. I will continue to give my all for victories and remain an indispensable asset to the team."

Once the MLB office approves the posting application, the 30 teams will have a 45-day exclusive negotiation period. If a contract is successfully signed, the Seibu Lions will receive a posting fee proportional to the total contract amount.