Perhaps the second-best pitcher coming to MLB from Japan this winter has a new team. Shota Imanaga will reportedly sign with the Chicago Cubs, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The terms of the deal are not yet clear, and Imanaga will undergo a physical on Thursday before the signing becomes official. Many project Imanaga as a mid-rotation starter with a ceiling slightly below Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Kodai Senga. However, pitching is expensive, and Imanaga has a chance to make this contract worth every penny.
The Chicago Cubs have reached a tentative deal with Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga. He will undergo a physical in Chicago on Thursday before the deal becomes official.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 9, 2024
Shota Imanaga, Cubs Agree to Deal
Imanaga became a star with the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball. The lefty starter played in parts of eight seasons, where he produced a 3.18 ERA in just over 1,000 career innings. In 2023, his second straight season with an ERA below 3.00, Imanaga went 7-4 in 148 innings (22 starts) with a 2.80 ERA, 174 strikeouts, and only 24 walks. His 10.6 K/9 and 7.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio represented career-bests.
The Japanese star also dominated on the global stage this spring during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Imanaga started the gold-medal game for Team Japan against Team USA. In that game, he tossed two innings, gave up one run, and struck out two. For the whole tournament, Imanaga allowed two runs in six innings with seven punchouts and zero walks.
Shota Imanaga isn’t on the same tier as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but there’s a lot to like there as a potential mid-rotation arm.
Age-29 season – 2.66 ERA – 24 GS – 10.6 K/9 – 1.4 BB/9 – 7.8 H/9 – 1.0 HR/9.
Best Stuff+ of any arm in the WBC. Led NPB in K%.pic.twitter.com/xgNHYo51ND
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) November 5, 2023
Imanaga’s Pitching Arsenal
Imanaga features a repertoire that includes a mid-90s fastball, a plus splitter, a decent slider, and an occasional curveball. Statcast tracked data from his pitches during the WBC, and the metrics were impressive. Specifically, he possesses a high-spin fastball (2,566 rpm) that can induce swings and misses with batters swinging under it.
However, Imanaga is not expected to throw as hard throughout an MLB season as he did in short stints during the tournament. While his fastball will likely average closer to the average velocity from MLB left-handed starting pitchers (92.9 mph), his above-average spin should play in the league.
Imanaga’s splitter is his best secondary pitch. Many regard a splitter as one of the most, if not the most, effective pitches in the game. This gets elevated when considering that Imanaga’s splitter gets compared to Senga’s “ghost fork” rather than a more typical splitter. Plus, there are not many lefty splitters in MLB.
Senga’s pitch dominated hitters in 2023 and generated an elite Whiff percentage. Imanaga has the chance to replicate Senga’s success while offering the pitch with a completely different look.
Photo Credit: © Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports
