After officially joining MLB, Tatsuya Imai wasted no time making his intentions clear at his introductory press conference with the Houston Astros. “What’s up, H-Town? I’m Tatsuya Imai, and I’m ready to chase a world championship. Let’s go, Houston.”And he’s not letting any distractions get in the way.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today on X, Tatsuya Imai won’t pitch in the World Baseball Classic this spring, choosing instead to lock in on his first MLB season with Houston fully.

He mentioned, “Houston Astros starter Tatsuya Imai says he won’t pitch for Team Japan in the WBC. He wants to get acclimated with his teammates without a disruption during the spring”

Imai’s decision follows a closely watched free agency that ended with him landing in Houston. The Houston Astros signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $63 million, with $54 million guaranteed.

Many expected him to land a much longer deal that could have exceeded $100 million. Instead, Imai chose flexibility, signing a shorter contract with player opt-outs after each season.

And when you take the risk of player opt-outs, you know there’s no room to ease in. To make it work, he’ll need as much time as possible with his new teammates, building chemistry, adjusting to his coaches’ demands, and putting himself in the best position to perform at his peak and secure a better deal with Houston or another franchise in the near future.

This is likely why he chose to focus on his first MLB season rather than pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

After eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball playing for the Saitama Seibu Lions, Tatsuya Imai arrives in Houston with a proven track record. He posted a 3.15 ERA across 159 appearances, with 907 strikeouts, and earned three All-Star selections, including nods in 2024 and 2025.

Imai isn’t the first Japanese pitcher to make that call. Kodai Senga skipped the World Baseball Classic before his MLB debut so he could focus on adjusting to the league, a decision that paid off with a standout rookie season.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto took a similar approach, prioritizing his transition to MLB while managing his workload.

For the Houston Astros, the move represents their first significant step into the Japanese market and helps cushion the loss of Framber Valdez, who remains a free agent.

And that was actually one of the reasons why Imai chose Houston.

Why Tatsuya Imai Chose to Join Houston

Imai’s debut will be a milestone moment for Houston. He’ll become only the fourth Japanese player in franchise history, following Kaz Matsui, Nori Aoki, and Yusei Kikuchi, who all came to Houston later in their MLB careers.

Given Houston’s limited footprint in the Asian and Pacific Rim market, the Imai signing initially raised eyebrows. But looking back, the fit makes sense. The Astros checked every box Imai wanted.

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Tatsuya Imai never saw Houston’s lack of Japanese presence in the community or clubhouse as an issue. He’s always been open to embracing new cultures head-on. What mattered most to him was winning. And that message came through loud and clear multiple times during his introductory press conference.

And who has won more World Series over the past decade than the Los Angeles Dodgers? The Houston Astros. The franchise gives Tatsuya Imai the perfect platform to build his own legacy, and he has already developed a reputation as something of an arch-enemy of the Dodgers.

“Winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life,” he said in November. “If anything, I’d rather take them down.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers have perfected a winning formula built around signing Japanese superstars and turning that talent into championships. The payoff has been massive. Shohei Ohtani has captured consecutive National League MVP awards, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a heroic World Series performance to claim the most recent MVP against the Toronto Blue Jays.

So it’s no surprise that many expected Imai to follow the same path.

But the fact that he chose not to follow the same path as other Japanese stars, despite reportedly receiving interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers, says a lot about his mindset. He wants to do it his way and carve out his own legacy in MLB.