Baseball

Pitcher Shota Imanaga Returns to Japan to Inspire Youth After a Successful Rookie Season in Chicago

Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga, who won 15 games in 2024, put on a clinic in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward for young players hoping to follow in his footsteps.

by
Jim Armstrong
December 11, 2024

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, who has earned the nickname "The Throwing Philosopher," imparted some of his knowledge to aspiring players at a youth baseball clinic in Tokyo recently.

"When you try, you have already won once," Imanaga said after the Play Ball clinic, which featured around 150 elementary school participants on Sunday, December 8 in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, according to Nikkan Sports. "Even if you fail, it is one win and one loss. You only have one chance to win twice in a row."

Imanaga went an impressive 15-3 in his first season with the Cubs. He finished the 2024 MLB season with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 173⅓ innings, far exceeding expectations.

The large throng of elementary school players eagerly soaked up his philosophy and valuable advice at the Play Ball clinic and hung on his every word.

"I'll try anything," the 31-year-old added. "My policy is to try everything, including English and American food."

Shota Imanaga Has Most Wins by a Cubs Rookie Since 1957

Imanaga became the Cubs' first rookie pitcher since Dick Drott (1957) to win 15 games in a season.

"He's been our best pitcher [and] he's been our best player," Cubs manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com at the end of the regular season. "There's no question about it. He's just delivered, and he's been a huge boost for us."

There were questions before the start of the 2024 season if Imanaga could handle the transition to the major leagues, including the longer schedule and the more demanding travel regimen.

But Cubs fans and officials were impressed with his smooth transition.

"You think about a guy coming over here," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was quoted as saying by MLB.com at the end of this past season before adding, "You assume that there's going to be transition issues that lead to inconsistency, or maybe a slow start or fatigue at the end. The totality of what he's done is actually, to me, probably the most surprising thing."

Added Hoyer, "He's had consistency. He didn't have transition issues. He dealt with all those things exceptionally well."

Shota Imanaga in 2024: An All-Star Appearance and a Combined No-Hitter

In addition to his impressive stats, the 30-year-old lefty earned a place on the National League All-Star team and took part in the first Cubs no-hitter at Wrigley Field since 1972.

Imanaga combined with two Chicago relievers on September 4 in a 12-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went seven hitless innings on 95 pitches.

After signing a four-year, $53 million USD (¥8 billion JPY) contract with the Cubs, Imanaga got off to a historic start that included five straight winning decisions.

According to MLB, he set a new record for the lowest ERA (0.84) by a rookie through the first nine starts of a career dating back to when the earned run became an official stat in 1913.

Shota Imanaga Achieved Success in NPB Before Joining the Cubs

Before leaving for the United States, Imanaga spent eight seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars during which time he went 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA and 1,021 strikeouts.

During his time in NPB, his best win-loss record was 13-7 in 2019. He pitched a no-hitter for the BayStars on June 7, 2022, against the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters.

While Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said Shohei Ohtani likely won't pitch in MLB's season-opening series in Japan against the Cubs, Imanaga is almost certain to start one of the two games slated for March 18-19, 2025, at Tokyo Dome.

"I believe I have to be ready to throw in one of the two games," Imanaga said, according to Kyodo News. "We know the opposing team already so I can get myself mentally prepared gradually."

Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.