Shota Imanaga
32-Year-Old
Free Agent
2025 Stats
W-L
9-8
ERA
3.73
WHIP
0.99
K
117
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
When Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed in MLB last offseason, some considered Imanaga's stuff to be on par with, if not better than, fellow countryman Yamamoto's. However, Imanaga lagged in command while sporting a high home-run rate by Nippon Professional Baseball standards. To address both, the Cubs designed an apparatus to train Imanaga to throw his four-seamer up in the zone. His 1.4 HR/9 was high but palatable. His high riser also helped yield a low .264 BABIP while generating a high 17.6 percent swinging-strike rate. The biggest surprise was a scant 4.0 percent walk rate. A bloated 80.2 percent left on base mark fueled a 2.91 ERA, over half a run below expected. Even so, a mid-threes ERA with a strikeout rate around 25 percent plays in any format. Just don't pay for a repeat of last season's deflated ERA; a correction is likely on the way. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a two-year, $53 million contract with the Cubs in January of 2024. Cubs declined three-year, $57.75 million team option for 2026 through 2028 in November of 2025. Declined $15.25 million player option for 2026 in November of 2025.
Enters free-agent market
The Cubs declined Imanaga's three-year, $57.75 million option Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis
The team deciding against picking up Imanaga's three-year option triggered a $15.25 million player option, which the pitcher also declined, making Imanaga a free agent. It's unclear whether the Cubs intend to make the southpaw a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer. Imanaga held a 4.70 second-half ERA and 8.10 ERA in two postseason starts, and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.6 percent in 2025. However, with a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 291:54 K:BB over 318 regular-season innings since the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Imanaga will draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market.
The team deciding against picking up Imanaga's three-year option triggered a $15.25 million player option, which the pitcher also declined, making Imanaga a free agent. It's unclear whether the Cubs intend to make the southpaw a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer. Imanaga held a 4.70 second-half ERA and 8.10 ERA in two postseason starts, and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.6 percent in 2025. However, with a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 291:54 K:BB over 318 regular-season innings since the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Imanaga will draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market.
Pitching Stats
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2025 MLB Game Log
2025
2024
Minor League Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
85
Last 10 Games
81
Last 5 Games
76
How many pitches does Shota Imanaga generally throw?
1-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100
101-110
111-120
121+
What part of the game does Shota Imanaga generally pitch?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2023
-4%
BAA vs LHP
2025
Even Split
| BAA | K | BB | H | HR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2023vs Left | .215 | 74 | 14 | 58 | 9 |
| Since 2023vs Right | .224 | 217 | 40 | 208 | 49 |
| 2025vs Left | .218 | 34 | 10 | 29 | 4 |
| 2025vs Right | .218 | 83 | 16 | 88 | 27 |
| 2024vs Left | .212 | 40 | 4 | 29 | 5 |
| 2024vs Right | .229 | 134 | 24 | 120 | 22 |
| 2023vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2023
Even Split
2025
-15%
ERA on Road
| ERA | WHIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2023Home | 3.28 | 0.96 | 167.1 | 9.0 | 1.4 |
| Since 2023Away | 3.29 | 1.06 | 150.2 | 7.4 | 1.7 |
| 2025Home | 4.04 | 1.00 | 71.1 | 7.2 | 1.8 |
| 2025Away | 3.44 | 0.98 | 73.1 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
| 2024Home | 2.72 | 0.93 | 96.0 | 10.3 | 1.1 |
| 2024Away | 3.14 | 1.14 | 77.1 | 7.4 | 1.9 |
| 2023Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stat Review
How does Shota Imanaga compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
K/BB
4.50K/9
7.3BB/9
1.6HR/9
1.9Fastball
92.0 mphERA
3.73WHIP
0.99BABIP
.228GB/FB
0.60Left On Base
81.3%Exit Velocity
83.0 mphBarrels/BBE
8.0%Spin Rate
2097 rpmBalls Hit 95+ MPH
27.8%Swinging Strike
12.4%Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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2024 Fantasy Outlook
Imanaga is a 30-year-old lefthanded starting pitcher who was with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball since 2016. He was posted by his former club and is slated to make his MLB debut this season. Imanaga recorded a 2.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 2023, fanning 174 in 148 innings. He throws a four-seam that's been reported between 92- and 94-mph, a slider, curveball, and split-finger changeup. The key to his success is fastball command and the effectiveness of his split-finger offering. Imanaga pitched for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and was deemed to possess the best Stuff+ by the Athletics Eno Sarris. Imanaga's main concern is he carried a high home run rate, especially relative to some of the other pitchers coming to MLB from Japan. He'll be working in bigger parks, but also facing better hitters. Chances are, Imanaga's ability to keep the ball in the yard will drive his major league success. He's expected to fill a mid-rotation role but shouldn't be expected to make more than 25 or 26 starts as he transitions to his new environment.
More Fantasy News
Saddled with loss in Game 2
Imanaga took the loss Monday in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers after allowing four runs on five hits while striking out three over 2.2 innings.
Analysis
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Drawing start for Game 2
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Imanaga will start Monday in Game 2 of the NLDS against Milwaukee, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Analysis
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Allows two runs in Game 2
Imanaga gave up two earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters over four relief innings during Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Padres. He did not factor into the decision.
Analysis
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Lit up in loss
Imanaga (9-8) allowed eight runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out three over 5.2 innings to take the loss Thursday versus the Mets.
Analysis
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Settles for no-decision Friday
Imanaga allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits across five innings and did not factor into the decision in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Reds. He walked two and struck out four.
Analysis
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Option decision looming
The Cubs must decide soon whether to exercise their three-year, $57.75 million option on Imanaga, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Analysis
It seems very likely that the Cubs will pick up the option, though Imanaga's 4.70 second-half ERA and 8.10 ERA in two postseason starts could give the team pause. If the option is declined, Imanaga would have a $15.25 million player option for 2026. In the unlikely event Imanaga exercises that option, the Cubs would then have a two-year, $42.5 million option for 2026-to-2027. Imanaga, 32, has posted a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 291:54 K:BB over 318 regular-season innings in his two years with Chicago.
It seems very likely that the Cubs will pick up the option, though Imanaga's 4.70 second-half ERA and 8.10 ERA in two postseason starts could give the team pause. If the option is declined, Imanaga would have a $15.25 million player option for 2026. In the unlikely event Imanaga exercises that option, the Cubs would then have a two-year, $42.5 million option for 2026-to-2027. Imanaga, 32, has posted a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 291:54 K:BB over 318 regular-season innings in his two years with Chicago.