Kaima Taira, a 26-year-old right-hander who led Nippon Professional Baseball with a 1.36 ERA this season, will be posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions, the club announced on Friday.
Kaima Taira
Taira went 12-5 with a 0.96 WHIP, struck out 141 and walked 45 in 146 innings. His ERA, FIP, WHIP, HR/FB, HR% and fastball velocity were all in the 90th percentile or better this year. Many believe he will be the best starter available this offseason after Tarik Skubal.
He was a reliever for the first five years of his career, moved into a starting role in 2023, returned to the bullpen for two years and then started this year. In 2025, he saved 31 games and pitched to a 1.71 ERA. His career NPB ERA is 1.78 over 592 innings.
Taira is listed at 5-foot-8, 209 pounds, an unusual build for an MLB starter, and teams may prefer using him out of the bullpen, though agreeing to make him a starter could sway his decision on where to sign, according to Max Ralph of MLB.com. The only starter listed at 5-foot-8 or shorter to have topped 100 innings since 1979 is Marcus Stroman, per Ralph.
Taira throws a mid-90s fastball and as many as seven secondary pitches, including a cutter, sweeper, change and splitter. Yakyu Cosmopolitan, which covers Japanese baseball, said the cutter and splitter are particularly effective.
“While his four-seamer has low ride, his short height and release point help everything play up,” the publication tweeted. “Durability is the main question for the 26-year-old.”
An injury in 2024 limited Taira to five starts before he was put back in the bullpen, per Brandon Tew of ProspectsLive.com. He also suffered a left calf injury that kept him out of the World Baseball Classic this year.
The posting process will open in early November and Japanese players will then have a 45-day window to sign with an MLB team. If a player isn’t signed when the assumed lockout starts on Dec. 1, the window will be frozen until the work stoppage is over.
The Mets have not reportedly shown interest, but Taira is likely to be on every team’s radar. Scouts from the Yankees, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, Angels, Tigers, Padres and White Sox watched him pitch in August. The Giants and Blue Jays are also reportedly interested.
