Can Tatsuya Imai be the next Yoshinobu Yamamoto? The next great NPB-to-MLB ace, who goes from dominating in Japan to dominating in the Majors?

With Imai posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions on the heels of Yamamoto's heroic postseason performance for the Dodgers, that's one of the questions that jumps to mind, fairly or not ... especially after Scott Boras, Imai's agent, said of the top international pitcher on the market: "Certainly, he's done everything Yamamoto's done in NPB."

Whichever team signs the 27-year-old right-hander will certainly hope Imai follows the Yamamoto career trajectory. But when it comes to his actual pitching, Imai doesn't do the same things Yamamoto does. And he doesn't need to.

Imai -- who had a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings for the Lions in 2025

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