Another highly touted Japanese hurler is slated to join Major League Baseball ahead of the 2026 season.

Right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who’s spent the last eight seasons playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), will officially be posted for MLB teams this off-season, per his club’s announcement on Monday. The 27-year-old has played for the Saitama Seibu Lions his entire career and would’ve become a free agent next winter.

Instead, with Imai coming over to North America a year earlier, he’ll have 45 days to reach an agreement with a big-league club once his posting window officially opens.

If, by chance, Imai remains unsigned beyond that 45-day window, he’ll return to the NPB for his ninth season and will likely attempt to join MLB again next off-season without being tied to a posting fee as a traditional free agent.

Having said that, Imai is expected to be highly coveted by MLB teams this winter, likely making him one of the most intriguing free-agent starters available — alongside top-tier North American arms such as Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez.

The Japanese star is coming off a breakout campaign with the Lions, consisting of a 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP across 24 starts (163.2 innings), striking out nearly 28 per cent of his batters faced while walking just seven per cent. He also posted career-bests in OPP AVG (.172) and HR/9 (0.33) this past season.

Imai’s track record of serving as an elite starter is relatively short, with his dominance mostly beginning in 2024 after he started flashing signs of this high-end potential during the previous two seasons. But teams will be willing to bet on the upside from his five-pitch arsenal, which includes a mid-90s fastball capable of reaching 99 m.p.h., a high swing-and-miss slider that stands out as his top offering, along with his splitter, curveball and sinker — all coming from his low three-quarters arm slot.

Considering he only stands at 5-foot-11, the promising young righty is also helped by his incredibly low release point, adding to the deception that he features on the mound.

Any team that signs Imai will be subject to a posting fee sent to the Lions, and it’ll be based on the size and value of his contract. Here’s how the breakdown works: the signing player’s former team (NPB or KBO) receives 20 per cent of the first $25 million, 17.5 per cent of the next $25 million and an additional 15 per cent for any amount left owing above that first $50 million threshold.

Imai will likely receive varying levels of interest from any team seeking starting pitching upgrades, which will probably include multiple AL East clubs — namely the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

There’s a chance Imai could be the most coveted player coming out of Japan this winter, perhaps even ahead of slugger Munetaka Murakami. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported in September that he could sign for anywhere between $80-$200 million — not including his posting fee — upon arriving in North America.

Fellow Lions pitcher, Kona Takahashi, is expected to join Imai in MLB’s posting system this off-season.