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Shota Imanaga is already making waves with the Chicago Cubs before he has even thrown a pitch.
The Japanese superstar has come over from the NPB and become one of the Cubs' biggest moves in a while, and fans are already taking to him. His perfect English shown off in a recent clip has them swooning.
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He told the crowd of reporters and others:
"Hey Chicago! Nice to meet you, I'm Shota Imanaga. I played Yokohama Baystars, eight years. I am very happy to be here and be a Cub. I want to say thank you to entire Cubs organization for having me, and I am very excited to pitch at Wrigley Field. I am looking forward to meeting fans and teammates. Go Cubs go!"
It was an impressive display for a pitcher whose first language is not English, and fans took note. They're thrilled with their offseason addition and are brimming with anticipation for his debut and tenure.
Here are some of the top reactions on X:
Imanaga was one of the NPB's best pitchers for a team with a strong fan base. It's clear already that Cubs fans have accepted him as one of their own and will support him through and through, proving his choice of signing to be a good one.
Shota Imanaga could be a great Cubs pitcher
When predicting how good Shota Imanaga will be for the Chicago Cubs, anything is possible.
He didn't have the fanfare of Yoshinobu Yamamoto in terms of pitchers or perhaps even Jung Hoo Lee in terms of international free agents, but he was a good signing.
There may be a transitional period for the pitcher. The MLB is not the NPB, and it's often considered to have better hitters and more talent overall. Dominating the NPB doesn't always equate right away. Even Shohei Ohtani didn't pitch as well when he first came over.
Nevertheless, Imanaga has the talent to compete and do well with the Cubs. Backed by a young and improving offense, the Cubs could be a team to keep an eye out for this year, and their addition of Imanaga could go a long way towards that.
