'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMRaUr//xAAfEAACAQQCAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABAURBhIUUaL/2gAIAQEAAT8A41k7PNcqVp8estv5Ee0mfsWDKugfeqmxwjmdEvZ1VWICqGAH3X//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADEf/aAAgBAgEBPwC9QrYJ/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDIf/aAAgBAwEBPwCbw//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It has been a day to remember for Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga, who made his MLB debut for his new club on Monday.
It's safe to say that the Japanese starter has gained a few fans with his new team after delivering one of the finest debuts in franchise history.
Trending
The 30-year-old starting pitcher from Kitakyushu, Japan, made his MLB debut on Monday against the Colorado Rockies and boy did he deliver.
One of the Chicago Cubs' biggest signings of the offseason, Shota Imanaga put his full arsenal on display, racking up nine strikeouts and allowing only two hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Although his final stat line shows that Imanaga gave up two hits to the Colorado Rockies, the 30-year-old rookie had a no-hitter going through 5.2 innings.
It was veteran Charlie Blackmon who ended Shota Imanaga's no-hit bid, but it did not take anything away from the impressive MLB debut.
This was the case on social media, as Chicago Cubs fans praied the dominant start from Imanaga. Most fans simply stated how the team landed a potential ace in free agency, while others were simply blown away by what they saw from the starting pitcher.
Imanaga's variety of pitches were on full display, with Cubs fans raving about his vicious Splitter.
In some of the positive posts, fans not only praise the performance of Shota Imanaga but the ability of the Chicago Cubs front office to sign him to such a team-friendly deal. He joined the Cubs on a four-year, $53 million deal, something that has not gone unnoticed by fans.
Cubs fans believe Shota Imanaga could be more valuable than Yoshinobu Yamamoto
One of the most talked about international free agents this winter was Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The young Japanese pitching sensation was one of the most coveted names on the open market, but he eventually landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a whopping 12-year, $325 million deal.
This massive contract signed by Yamamoto has caused Cubs fans to take shots at the Dodgers following Imanaga's debut.
These fans have gone on to make a bold statement that Shota Imanaga will be a better pitcher than Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Only time will tell if this statement will come to fruition, but it will be fun to monitor both players as they make their way through their first MLB seasons.
