Why Tatsuya Imai was not Astros' best rookie in 2026

The Houston Astros had higher expectations for Tatsuya Imai. 

The Japanese right-hander's inconsistent performance led to a bullpen demotion in the middle of the season, and his 5.13 ERA in 21 appearances is far from elite. 

Imai's struggles in his first Major League season follow a strong eight-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Saitama Seibu Lions. 

Due to Imai's performance, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller has tabbed a right-handed reliever as Houston's top rookie of the year. 

"Heading into the season, the expectation was that Tatsuya Imai would be Houston's representative on this list. But while Imai has posted the worst walk rate among all pitchers with at least 40 innings of work, [AJ] Blubaugh has been quite the asset as a bulk reliever," Miller wrote. 

According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, Blubaugh was a target for many teams before the trade deadline. 

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He won't turn 27 until next July and is striking out exactly nine batters per nine innings. 

"He doesn't often get used in high-leverage situations, but in 91 innings pitched—most in the majors among players who haven't started any games—he has a 3.26 ERA," Miller added. 

Imai's season has not been what the Astros hoped for, but there are still two years and $36 million remaining on his contract to figure it out. 

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