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| Shota Imanaga | CHI - SP | ||||||||||||
| Throws: L | Age: 31 | Mixed 5x5: $10 | NL 5x5: $18 | |||||||||||
| 2024: Started: 29 Relieved: 0 | Mixed 2026: $8 | 2027: $5 | ||||||||||||
| Outlook: The 2024 National League first-year class was so strong that Imanaga was more of a factor in the Cy Young vote, finishing fifth, than in the Rookie of the Year race, where he was named on only four of 30 ballots. The left-hander’s Cubs career couldn’t have gotten off to any better of a start, as he opened up 5-0 with a 0.84 ERA in nine starts. The homers started coming frequently afterwards, but Imanaga was very stingy with the singles and walks and wound up going 7-1 with a 2.83 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP after the break. It certainly helped Imanaga that Wrigley Field played as an extreme pitcher’s park last season; there were 217 fewer runs scored in Cubs home games than in their road games. Wrigley, though can vary widely in how it plays from year to year. Imanaga’s expansive arsenal is largely full of flyball pitches, and he’ll surely again give up more homers than most. Still, the WHIP and strikeout numbers should be there to make him a top-30 SP. | |||||||||||||
