kikuchi is back in the conversation inside Astros camp as Houston’s latest pitching project, Tatsuya Imai, shows a spring velocity bump after a delivery change. The Astros have leaned heavily on Imai since signing him this past offseason, and his early spring results have eased some concerns about how his arsenal would translate against MLB hitters. As of 11: 00 a. m. ET, the team’s internal optimism is being voiced publicly, with manager Joe Espada pointing to overpowering stuff as spring winds down.
Astros lean on the same pitch-design playbook
The comparison point is clear within the organization’s recent history: the Astros’ trade for Yusei Kikuchi drew heavy skepticism at the time, but the return flipped quickly once minor adjustments were made. In that earlier case, Kikuchi improved fast, became one of Houston’s best pitchers, and turned into a key cog during the club’s playoff push.
Now, Houston appears to be applying a similarly hands-on adjustment process with Imai, one of its top offseason acquisitions. The team expected to rely on him immediately, even as some observers questioned whether his pitch mix and style would hold up against MLB hitters. So far this spring, the performance has tamped down many of those fears in the short term—without the Astros having to hide their excitement about what they’re seeing.
How Imai’s tweak unlocked more velocity
The key change centers on Imai’s delivery, with Astros support, and the early impact has been straightforward: more velocity and “nastier stuff. ” What remains uncertain is the origin point of the adjustment—whether Imai proposed it and the club backed it, or whether Houston initiated the experimentation and Imai adopted it. The available facts do not settle that question.
What is known is the nature of the tweak: Imai worked to be more efficient to the plate while also adapting to a mound that is different from what he is used to. Imai began toying with these changes back in Japan and continued working through them during spring.
The mound factor matters here. MLB mounds are generally steeper than those used in Japan, and Imai recognized he would need to adapt. That practical adjustment—paired with the delivery efficiency—has been framed internally as a direct path to the velocity gain now showing up in his spring appearances.
Immediate reactions: Espada’s ringing endorsement
Astros manager Joe Espada put his assessment on the record in a blunt appraisal of where Imai is trending as camp progresses: “It looked like he sees the end of spring coming, and he’s getting ready for the season. Just overpowering stuff. ”
The message from the dugout is that this is not simply Imai being Imai while the rest of baseball catches up. The Astros view the delivery adjustment, and the resulting velocity jump, as something that has been actively unlocked—an echo of how the club previously coaxed rapid improvement out of Kikuchi with minor changes. In the middle of this developing spring story, kikuchi remains the yardstick for how quickly Houston believes targeted tweaks can translate into a better version of a pitcher.
Quick context
The Astros’ earlier Kikuchi move was widely disliked at the time of the trade, but it paid off soon after, following minor adjustments. Imai arrived this offseason with expectations that he would be leaned on, and his spring so far has reduced some immediate concerns about MLB translation.
What’s next as spring closes
Next steps will center on whether the delivery change continues to hold as spring advances toward the season, and whether the efficiency-to-the-plate adjustment remains consistent on MLB mounds. Any clarity on who initiated the change—player-led or team-driven—could further define how Houston is framing this development internally.
For now, as of 11: 00 a. m. ET, the Astros are presenting Imai’s surge as a repeatable process rather than a fluke, and the most telling signal is the confidence coming from Espada’s public comments. If the velocity gains persist, the kikuchi comparison will only get louder in Houston’s spring narrative.
