The Cubs signed Japanese southpaw to a four-year, $53 million deal last January, and they haven’t regretted it for one minute. Imanaga was the Cubs’s MVP in 2024. He made 29 starts and posted a 15-3 record, throwing 173.1 innings, with a 2.91 ERA, 174 strikeouts, and only 28 walks. Talk about elite command! The Cubs were 23-6 in games he pitched.
2025 will no doubt be a greater test for Imanaga. In 2024, his fastball and splitter combo worked effectively. To elevate in 2025, he will need a third option to keep hitters honest. He displays elite command with his low 90s fastball. The splitter is his putaway pitch. He also used an effective sweeper against lefties. He can be prone to home runs, and his groundball rate was pretty low at 37.2% last season.
Look for a third pitch in Spring Training. If he can develop a reliable third pitch, he could have a CY Young-like season this year. If he doesn’t, I see some regression as hitters know what to expect this time around. I would predict an ERA in the region of 3.40 – 3.60 for Shota in 2025, but that is dependent on whether he has developed a third reliable pitch.
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