Tatsuya Imai

Active

Houston Astros · Pitcher

Age 285' 11" · 176 lbsThrows Right

FBaseball Overview

Making his MLB debut with the Astros, this 28-year-old right-hander offers intriguing upside as a potential rotation depth piece in a competitive Houston organization. Early 2026 results show promise with 58 strikeouts over 47 innings, though his 5.36 ERA and 1.32 WHIP suggest command and control remain areas of concern as he adjusts to major league hitters. Fantasy managers should monitor his role closely—if the Astros see continued development and strikeout production, he could become a reliable streaming option, but the elevated ERA makes him a risky pick in deeper formats until he demonstrates better consistency. The 5-3 win-loss record indicates Houston's offense has provided some run support, which could help his win total if his pitching stabilizes as the season progresses.

MLB Pitching

Year	Team	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	WHIP	K	IP	BB
2026	Houston Astros	12	12	5	4	0	6.14	1.47	60	48.1	30
Career	Totals	12	12	5	4	0	6.14	1.47	60	48.1	30

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Pitching

Year	Team	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	WHIP	K	IP	BB
2026	2 teams▼	2	2	0	0	0	10.80	3.00	5	5	8
Career	Totals	2	2	0	0	0	10.80	3.00	5	5	8

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

Loading game log…

Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

FB Velo94.8 mph

Avg Spin2097 rpm

Whiff %31.9%

K %27.9%

BB %14.0%

Hard Hit %46.3%

Barrel %10.7%

xERA4.90

xBA Against0.231

xSLG Against0.41

BA Against0.228

SLG Against0.389

GB%45.5%

FB%24.0%

What These Stats Mean

FB Velo — Average fastball velocity. Harder throwers generate more swings and misses, setting up every other pitch in their arsenal. Velocity is the foundation of strikeout upside.

Avg Spin — Average spin rate across all pitches. Higher spin creates more movement and makes pitches harder to square up — elite spinners run better strikeout and batting average against numbers.

Whiff % — Swings-and-misses per swing. The most direct measure of a pitcher's ability to miss bats and the best leading indicator of strikeout rate.

K % — Strikeout rate per batter faced. The core fantasy pitching stat — high K% means reliable strikeout totals that hold up even in shorter starts.

BB % — Walk rate per batter faced. The primary control metric. High BB% tanks ERA and WHIP and keeps baserunners on constantly. Elite starters typically run below 7%.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder against. Low hard-hit% means weak contact, protecting both ERA and the defense behind the pitcher.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls barreled against. The most direct home run predictor — low barrel% pitchers rarely give up long balls.

xERA — Expected ERA based on contact quality allowed, removing the effect of sequencing, luck, and defense. Better predictor of future ERA than ERA itself.

xBA Against — Expected batting average opponents should hit based on contact quality. A gap between xBA and actual BA indicates unsustainable luck in either direction.

xSLG Against — Expected slugging allowed based on contact quality. High xSLG against predicts future extra-base damage; low xSLG means the pitcher is genuinely suppressing power.

BA Against — Actual batting average opponents are hitting — a key WHIP component. Check xBA to see if the number is sustainable.

SLG Against — Actual slugging allowed. Captures hits, doubles, triples, and home runs — lower means the pitcher is limiting the power damage he gives up.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% pitchers generate double plays, limit home runs, and keep the ball in the park — great for protecting ERA and WHIP ratios.

FB% — Fly ball rate. High FB% pitchers give up more air contact — dangerous when combined with high exit velocity, less so when contact is soft.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

ERA

WHIP

2026

Houston Astros

6.14

1.47

48.1

Career

Totals