Shota Imanaga

Age: 33 (9/1/93) B/T: L/L

2026 Traditional Stats: 11-10, 3.77 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 174 1/3 IP, 174 SO, 37 BB, 32 GS
2026 Advanced Stats: 112 ERA+, 24.6 K%, 5.2 BB%, 3.80 xERA, 4.47 FIP, 3.74 xFIP, 1.8 fWAR, 2.0 bWAR

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Rundown

Like a dinner with the in-laws, a Keith Hernandez tangent or last week’s Wordle, you just never knew what you were going to get when Shota Imanaga took the mound this year.

He had eight starts where he pitched at least six innings and allowed one earned run or fewer. He reached double-digit strikeouts three times. In April, after striking out nine Pirates over six no-hit innings, he was pulled at 100 pitches. The Cubs lost 2-0.

He had six starts where he gave up at least three home runs. Francisco Alvarez, A.J. Ewing and Mark Vientos took him deep at Citi Field on June 24. (The Cubs won 10-5 and he earned the win. Sean Manaea was ineffective.) He had a four-start stretch where he allowed 26 earned runs in 21 2/3 innings.

Imanaga can survive the long balls because he doesn’t allow free passes. He is in the 95th percentile in walk percentage and his 1.91 walks per nine innings tied for fourth in MLB for qualified pitchers. He doesn’t throw hard (average fastball 91.4 mph is in the 10th percentile), but he gets hitters to swing out of the zone (chase percentage in the 91st percentile). Check out his Baseball Savant page here.

Imanaga was an All-Star his rookie year in 2024 when he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA after eight seasons in Japan. He was fifth in Cy Young voting that season and fourth for Rookie of the Year. In his last two seasons, he’s gone 20-18 with a 3.75 ERA.

Recommendation: Stay Away

It seems like he would be a terrific character to have in the clubhouse. He started his introductory press conference in January 2024 with, “Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today.” The lines are from “Go, Cubs, Go,” a song played after Cubs win at Wrigley Field.

When Chicago clinched a playoff spot in 2025, he said through an interpreter during the locker room celebration that he “learned with champagne that instead of drinking it, you should absorb it with your skin, it feels better.”

He is also familiar with New York City, sort of. After his first start against the Mets in May 2024, he was asked about the city. “The view from the hotel, I recognize it from Spider-Man. So I was just like, oh, this is where Spider-Man was.”

The Mets could use a fun clubhouse presence and a mid-rotation starter, but the home runs are a red flag that can’t be ignored. He allowed 35, tied for second in the majors with Jeffrey Springs of the Athletics. (Aaron Nola coughed up 37.) In 2025, Imanaga allowed more home runs (31) than walks (26).

MLB Trade Rumors projects two years, $40 million, and suggests teams with a big ballpark that might turn some of those homers into fly outs take a look. Imanaga accepted the qualifying offer from the Cubs last offseason and players cannot get QOs twice so signing him will not come with draft pick penalties.