If the San Francisco Giants are serious about closing the gap between themselves and the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, then targeting a pitcher who’s openly gunning to take them down is more than just a savvy move-it’s a statement.
Enter Tatsuya Imai, the 27-year-old right-hander from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. After a dominant 2025 season with the Saitama Seibu Lions-where he posted a 1.92 ERA across 24 starts and struck out nearly 10 batters per nine innings-Imai is drawing serious attention as he makes the jump to Major League Baseball. Teams like the Yankees, Mets, and Cubs are all reportedly in the mix, but there’s a compelling case to be made that the best landing spot might just be in San Francisco.
The Giants have both the need and the financial flexibility to make a splash in the pitching market. Their 2025 payroll sits about $8 million under last year’s mark, which was already $30 million lighter than 2024. That gives them room to maneuver, and with Robbie Ray set to hit free agency after 2026, there's a long-term opening in the rotation.
More importantly, Imai fits a very specific need. The Giants haven’t seen the postseason since 2021, and if they’re going to break that drought, they need more than just depth-they need impact.
Logan Webb remains the ace, the guy you hand the ball to in Game 1 of a playoff series. But behind him, there’s a clear opportunity for someone to step in and become a legitimate No.
That’s where Imai comes in.
He’s not just a strikeout artist-he’s a control specialist. In 2025, he led all qualified NPB pitchers with a 0.89 WHIP, walking just 45 hitters over 163.2 innings.
That kind of command translates well to the postseason, where every baserunner becomes magnified. Since 2023, Imai has averaged 156 innings per year, showing durability and consistency-two traits the Giants could use in a rotation that’s lacked both in recent seasons.
And let’s not overlook the intangibles. Imai reportedly wants to take down the Dodgers.
What better way to do that than to face them head-on, multiple times a season, in the same division? That kind of fire is exactly what the Giants need if they’re going to shift the balance of power in the NL West.
Adding Imai won’t singlehandedly vault San Francisco back into October, but it’s a foundational move. Pair him with Webb, and suddenly the top of the rotation starts to look playoff-ready. For a franchise that’s been stuck on the outside looking in, that’s a step in the right direction-and maybe, just maybe, a step toward finally halting the Dodgers' dynasty run.