Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga has been one of Major League Baseball's biggest revelations in the first half of the 2024 season.
On Sunday, July 7, Imanaga was honored for his successful start to his MLB career by being named to the National League All-Star team's pitching staff. He is 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 starts.
The 2024 MLB All-Star Game is on Tuesday, July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home ballpark of the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers.
MLB selected Imanaga, 30, as the Cubs' lone representative for the Midsummer Classic.
In fan voting, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani was selected as the NL's starter at designated hitter.
No Japanese players were chosen for the American League All-Star team.
Imanaga, who signed a four-year contract with the Cubs in January, enjoyed a terrific start to his MLB career in the spring. He became the first starter since Dave Feriss of the Boston Red Sox in 1945 to post a 4-0 record and an ERA under 1.00 in his first five MLB career starts.
And he was named the NL Rookie of the Month for March/April with a 4-0 record and a 0.98 ERA in five starts.
The affable veteran lefty, who spent the previous eight seasons with NPB's Yokohama DeNA BayStars and tossed a no-hitter in 2022, has also displayed exceptional control, walking just 15 batters and striking out 92 in 91 innings.
What's more, he's embraced living and working in the Windy City. At the same time, his teammates and their rabid fans have embraced him.
'Honored' to Be an All-Star
"I'm honored to have been picked," Imanaga was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "It'll be great if many people get to recognize my face and name. I was really happy to find myself named alongside many good players."
The Kitakyushu native was informed that he became an All-Star during a team meeting at Wrigley Field.
"When I was going into the meeting, I wasn't sure what the topic was going to be about," Imanaga told reporters through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. "We have plenty of amazing players and so if other people got chosen, that would make sense. When I was chosen, it made me very happy."
Speaking to his teammates in the clubhouse, as seen on this video, Imanaga added, "I really am going to stick my chest out and represent the Chicago Cubs well."
After a season-worst outing on June 21 against the New York Mets (11 hits and 10 runs in three-plus innings), Imanaga bounced back with consecutive six-inning outings, allowing three runs apiece against the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies on June 27 and July 3.
Shota Imanaga Living up to Team's Expectations
Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said he's not surprised that Imanaga is having a noteworthy first season with the team.
"With Shota, we knew we were getting a polished pitcher," Hottovy said, according to MLB.com. "He's a guy who's performed in Japan and obviously knows what he's doing. But he's a guy that wants to continue to get better and wants to continue to learn.
"When you have that [combination], usually it lines up for some pretty cool success."
Additional Impressions of Shota Imanaga
Beyond his overall win-loss record, Imanaga has had a positive impact on the Cubs.
Just ask manager Craig Counsell, whose team is 12-4 in games in which Imanaga has started.
"It feels like there's a joy to the way he competes," Counsell was quoted as saying by the Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper. "I think we all are a little jealous of that, the way we see him compete. At least I am. It's really fun to watch."
In mid-June, weeks before Imanaga became a first-time MLB All-Star, Cubs catcher Yan Gomes spoke about the high standards that his teammate sets for himself.
"He takes it upon himself to go out there in the seventh inning with 100-plus pitches and give us everything that he's got," Gomes said, according to a game report published by CHGO Sports. "It's why everybody loves him, man. He's doing a tremendous job just being a good guy and going out there and competing every fifth day, but also being a good teammate."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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