Shota Imanaga

31-Year-Old PitcherSP

Chicago Cubs

2024 Stats

W-L

15-3

ERA

2.91

WHIP

1.02

174

2025 Projections

W-L

ERA

WHIP

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2025 Fantasy Outlook

When both signed in MLB last offseason, some considered Imanaga's stuff to be on par with, if not better than countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, Imanaga lagged in command while sporting a high home-run rate by Nippon Professional Baseball standards. To address both, the Cubs designed an apparatus to train Imanaga to throw his four-seamer up in the zone. His 1.4 HR/9 was high, but palatable. His high riser also helped yield a low .264 BABIP while generating a high 17.6 percent swinging-strike rate. The biggest surprise was a scant 4.0 percent walk rate. A bloated 80.2 percent left on base mark fueled a 2.91 ERA, over half a run below expected. Even so, a mid-threes ERA with a strikeout rate around 25 percent plays in any format. Just don't pay for a repeat of last season's deflated ERA; a correction is likely on the way. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

From Preseason

Overall Rank

Dynasty

#81

ADP

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