Tatsuya Imai’s Astros spring training debut stuns everyone; Altuve: I've never seen a pitch like that

Today, all eyes at the Houston Astros spring training facility were on Tatsuya Imai. This marked his first time pitching to batters since signing with the Astros in January. Moreover, the hitters he faced on Field 2 at the CACTI complex in Palm Beach were no ordinary opponents.

Under the watchful eyes of many teammates, most of the Astros’ management team including GM Dana Brown, and a group of Japanese media, Imai admitted feeling a bit nervous but still completed his first live batting practice of this spring training. He started by striking out Nick Allen on three pitches with a groundout, then stepped up to face nine-time All-Star and three-time batting champion Jose Altuve.

“When I first faced Altuve, I thought to myself, ‘Oh my God, I’m really in the big leagues,’” Imai joked.

Imai showcased his sharp strikeout skills and diverse pitch repertoire that earned him three All-Star selections in Japan’s professional league. He struck Altuve out on the first pitch with a swing and miss, then got him to ground out on the second. Following that, he struck out Carlos Correa, Jake Meyers, and Taylor Trammell consecutively. In total, he threw 17 pitches against five batters.

“It was amazing,” Altuve said. “He threw me a slider that was nearly impossible to see the spin on. Sharp and crisp. Then a fastball followed. I saw two pitches. Yeah, that was great. Obviously, just two pitches aren’t enough—I want to see more—but the first impression was really good. He’s going to be a big asset to the team.”

Astros pitching coach Josh Miller was pleased with Imai’s pitch count and fastball velocity, which consistently ranged between 90 and 95 mph. Imai used all his pitches except the curveball, with his “reverse” slider generating many swings and misses and earning the highest praise.

“Its natural trajectory moves backward rather than drifting left, even though its spin might make it appear to the batter that it’s moving left,” Miller explained. “There were some strange swings, some barely grazing the ball. Sliders usually drop and move away to the outside corner, but this one didn’t. It’s a unique pitch.”

His forkball also left Trammell amazed.

“Honestly, I’ve played baseball for 24 years, including 11 professionally, and I’ve never seen a pitch like that,” he said.

Correa, who faced six pitches, noted that the combination of the forkball and fastball was very effective, making it difficult for batters to distinguish between them.

“The fastball comes in quickly, and just when you have to make a decision, it suddenly drops,” he said. “Yusuke Yamamoto from the Dodgers has a similar pitch sequence, using a low-angle fastball to lure you into chasing the forkball. Imai can do something similar.”

After practice, Trammell, Imai, and interpreter Ryo Takagi spent a few minutes in the locker room exchanging impressions. Imai specifically asked Trammell if his pitches were consistent and fluid.

“He comes down from a high release point, with a snapping motion,” Trammell said. “Every pitch has life. I saw most of his pitch types. The fastball has good hop with some inward movement. And yes, we saw that forkball too.”

The Astros are still getting familiar with Imai and his routine, including Miller. Miller mentioned he hasn’t had a formal conversation with Imai about pitching goals yet, but now that Imai has faced batters, that meeting will happen soon. Imai’s next steps are undecided: he might have another live batting session before joining the Grapefruit League spring training games.

Regardless, he is sure to draw large crowds.

“He did say he was a bit nervous,” Miller said. “He’s been watching others pitch from the sidelines the past few days, observing the process. I think that helped him feel more comfortable. On the mound, he looked relaxed and natural. Any nervousness he had before disappeared in the bullpen. He did really well.”