PITCHER MATCHUP

Tatsuya Imai vs Kansas City Royals

How the Kansas City Royals's current regulars (top 9 by at-bats) project against Tatsuya Imai's season-to-date arsenal — not the posted lineup for any single game.

Tatsuya Imai's arsenal

Throws RHPvs LHH xwOBA .386vs RHH xwOBA .278Seasons 2026
Slider 44%Four-Seam Fastball 43%Sinker 6%Changeup 3%Splitter 3%Curveball 1%

How the Kansas City Royals's regulars project

Projected expected wOBA for each of the Kansas City Royals's top-9-by-AB hitters against Tatsuya Imai, by batting order. A season-to-date read — lower favors the pitcher.

Lineup avg xwOBA .319
  1. 1 SP Salvador Perez RHB .333
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Salvador Perez
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .306 xwOBA over 271 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .360 xwOBA over 438 BIP — a meaningful edge for the batter.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .380 xwOBA over 256 BIP — a meaningful edge for the batter.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .274 xwOBA over 167 BIP — a clear edge for the pitcher.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .311 xwOBA over 45 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  2. 2 CJ Carter Jensen LHB .308
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Carter Jensen
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .293 xwOBA over 79 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .320 xwOBA over 129 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .321 xwOBA over 60 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .308 xwOBA over 45 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .318 xwOBA over 17 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  3. 3 JC Jac Caglianone LHB .351
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Jac Caglianone
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .363 xwOBA over 80 BIP — a meaningful edge for the batter.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .353 xwOBA over 153 BIP — a meaningful edge for the batter.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .315 xwOBA over 82 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .271 xwOBA over 82 BIP — a clear edge for the pitcher.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .286 xwOBA over 28 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  4. 4 IC Isaac Collins SH .329
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Isaac Collins
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .337 xwOBA over 59 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .329 xwOBA over 353 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .322 xwOBA over 114 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .254 xwOBA over 92 BIP — a clear edge for the pitcher.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .282 xwOBA over 36 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  5. 5 LT Lane Thomas RHB .303
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Lane Thomas
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .287 xwOBA over 141 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .316 xwOBA over 288 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .316 xwOBA over 211 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .329 xwOBA over 97 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .285 xwOBA over 19 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  6. 6 MM Michael Massey LHB .296
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Michael Massey
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .314 xwOBA over 94 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .277 xwOBA over 321 BIP — a clear edge for the pitcher.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .311 xwOBA over 114 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .290 xwOBA over 149 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .280 xwOBA over 43 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  7. 7 NL Nick Loftin RHB .316
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Nick Loftin
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .311 xwOBA over 86 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .328 xwOBA over 195 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .279 xwOBA over 107 BIP — a clear edge for the pitcher.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .275 xwOBA over 52 BIP — a clear edge for the pitcher.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .314 xwOBA over 12 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  8. 8 SM Starling Marte RHB .305
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Starling Marte
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .293 xwOBA over 148 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .315 xwOBA over 226 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .307 xwOBA over 145 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .323 xwOBA over 81 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .320 xwOBA over 20 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
  9. 9 TT Tyler Tolbert RHB .327
    Pitch-by-pitch projection vs. Tyler Tolbert
    • Slider (44% usage) projects to .318 xwOBA over 13 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Four-Seam Fastball (43% usage) projects to .336 xwOBA over 36 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Sinker (6% usage) projects to .307 xwOBA over 23 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Changeup (3% usage) projects to .319 xwOBA over 13 BIP — a roughly even matchup.
    • Splitter (3% usage) projects to .365 xwOBA over limited BIP — a meaningful edge for the batter (zone profile imputed from overall vs-handedness wOBA — limited per-pitch-type data).
Full pitch-by-pitch breakdown, with pitch-zone heatmaps →

No meeting currently scheduled — this is a durable season matchup read.