is a Japanese professional baseball coach and former catcher, noted for coaching as a bullpen catcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Nagai currently serves as head coach for the team.
Baseball career Student baseball Nagai began his career in the early 1990s as a catcher for , through which he was able to partake in the Kōshien baseball tournaments. Following high school, Nagai continued to play baseball at Asia University, a member of the Tohto University Baseball League.
NKK Baseball Club By the late 1990s, Nagai moved on from student baseball and joined the , an industrial team in the Japan Amateur Baseball Association (JABA). Nagai went undrafted while with the club, leading to his gradual shift away from an active playing career.
New York Mets In 1998, Nagai got in contact with a Japanese scout for the New York Mets, and was soon hired as the team's bullpen catcher. Nagai stayed with the Mets for two years. During his time with the team, Nagai lived in the same apartment building as Japanese teammate Masato Yoshii and served as Yoshii's pitcher during batting practice.
K Sports Baseball Club Nagai returned to JABA following the 1999 MLB season, now playing for the . Nagai eventually retired from active play while with the club, opting to instead focus on his coaching career going forward.
Hamamatsu University In 2006, Nagai took over as manager of Hamamatsu University's student baseball team. Under Nagai, the team won the 2012 Fall Championship.
OISCA Hamatsu Kokusai High School In 2019, Nagai was appointed as head coach for the student baseball team.
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