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Shota Imanaga hit the ground running in his first season in the major leagues, becoming the ace of the Chicago Cubs' pitching staff. The 31-year-old arrived in the MLB after eight strong seasons playing for the Yokohama DeNa Baystars in the NPB.
In 2024, Imanaga finished the regular season with a 15-3 win/loss record, a 2.91 ERA and 174 total strikeouts. As a result of his consistent performances, Imanaga earned his first career All-Star cap while also being included in the All-MLB second team.
Despite his best efforts, the Cubs finished third in the NL Central and were unable to make it to the postseason, something that Imanaga and his team will no doubt be looking to improve on in the new season.
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With spring training already begun for pitchers and catchers, the Japanese international is currently hard at work to get back in top gear in time for opening day. In a clip uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Shota Imanaga showed that baseball is not the only sport he is proficient at, as he showed off his basketball skills between workouts at Sloan Park.
"Shota with the smooth finger roll 🏀," the post was captioned
Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer backs Shota Imanaga to pitch in opening series of 2025 season
To start the new season, the Chicago Cubs are set to play the reigning World Series champions, the LA Dodgers, in a four-game series. The series, which is the latest installment of MLB's "world tour," will take place in Japan to increase the league's popularity outside North America.
Similar events in the past have included the Seoul Series at the start of the 2024 season between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, and the London Series, which saw the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets square off in the British capital.
On Feb. 9, Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer talked about the possibility of ace Shota Imanaga taking the mound in his home country, as he seemed to confirm that the 31-year-old will start at some point in the series.
"I’m sure that, provided everything is on schedule, he’ll be pitching over there," Hoyer said. "What game, I don't know. I know the fans in Japan will be excited to see him."
Having enjoyed a great 2024 season, Cubs fans will hope Imanaga can start 2025 with a confidence-boosting start against a quality opponent.
