"How can we not love this guy already?!?!" "World Series here we come" - Cubs fans enamored by Shota Imanaga's first words during press conference

It's safe to say that the Chicago Cubs are ready for Shota Imanaga to don their iconic pinstripes. The Japanese pitcher made a splash this offseason by coming to terms with the Cubs, signing a four-year, $53 million deal. The 30-year-old will bring his talent from Japan to Chicago to make his MLB debut.

Now that Shota Imanaga's deal has been made official by the Chicago Cubs, the pitcher has already begun to establish himself as a fan favorite. During his introductory press conference with the team on Friday, the long-time member of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars gave Cubs fans a taste of his infectious personality.

In his first words ever addressing the Chicago Cubs fanbase and franchise, Imanaga spoke lyrics of the team's victory tune, Go Cubs Go! In front of reporters and prominent members of the Cubs organization, Imanaga said "Hey, Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today."

Shota Imanaga's recital of the team's famous victory song has already won over a number of fans, who took to social media to declare their love and fandom of their new starting pitcher. Some of the reactions to his soon-to-be iconic quote have seen fans claim that he will lead the team to another World Series title.

Other fans have been left enamored by the Japanese pitcher, saying that it is nearly impossible to not love Imanaga. In response to the clip, some fans have said that Shota carries himself with a championship aura. This is something that fans contrasted with Yoshinobu Yamamoto during his Los Angeles Dodgers press conference.

A closer look at Shota Imanaga's 2023 season in Japan

While Imanaga may not have carried the gravitas of Yoshinobu Yamamoto when it was announced that he would be posted by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he was sought after by several teams. Before signing with the Chicago Cubs, Imanaga was linked to the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and New York Yankees.

Last season with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Shota Imanaga pitched 159 innings with a 2.66 ERA and 188 strikeouts. Interestingly enough, Imanaga recorded a higher strikeout rate than Yoshinobu Yamamoto last season.

At 30 years old, there will undoubtedly be question marks about Imanaga heading into his MLB debut. Yet, if he can perform near the same level he did last season, the Chicago Cubs may have landed a bargain.