The end of Shota Imanaga’s first year in the major leagues looks very much like the start of his season, which is a great sign for him and the Chicago Cubs.
Imanaga showed no signs of being tired as he earned his sixth straight win by pitching seven innings in a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. He gave up six hits, struck out four batters, and walked none.
“He’s had a great season,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s been fabulous. Finishing on a strong note, continuing to pitch super well. Executing as we go, just very, very well. It’s been good from start to as we get to the end here.”
The Cubs (80-76) are wrapping up a disappointing season after starting with hopes of making the playoffs. However, Imanaga, 31, has been a bright spot after joining the team from Japan. He signed a $53 million, four-year deal with Chicago in January.
Making a smooth transition to the majors, Imanaga went 5-0 with an impressive 0.84 ERA in his first nine starts.
He has a 2.25 ERA during his current winning streak, which is the longest active stretch for any major league starter, along with 37 strikeouts and eight walks in 40 innings.
“Talking to Craig, talking to my teammates, they really emphasized how important it is to stay healthy, especially in September,” Imanaga said through a translator. “So that was one of the goals of mine, especially back in spring training, just being able to continue to pitch, stay healthy. And I think I was able to do that.”
Imanaga is 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 173 1/3 innings over 29 starts. He made the NL All-Star team and is likely to finish in the top five for NL Rookie of the Year voting. He probably has one more start this year, next weekend against Cincinnati at Wrigley Field.
“Look, he’s been our best pitcher,” Counsell said. “He’s been our best player. There’s no question about it. He’s just delivered, and he’s been a huge boost for us.”
