Shōta Imanaga has quickly become a fan favorite on the North Side.
Is it his devastating fastball? His crushing split-finger? Imanaga holds a 1.08 ERA this season through seven starts. Of course, his on-field production crafts an easy path for Cubs fans to love him.
But I'd argue his pitching, along with his incredible sense of humor and humility is what draws fans to the newcomer. Imanaga, after receiving a new ball after one goes into play, bows to the home plate umpire for granting him a new one.
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Imanaga's quite the character. He's incredibly respectful and he has no problem sharing his amazement with his newfound country.
Whether it's the ability to turn right during red lights, seeing the set of Spider-Man in real life before a start, or talking with Yu Darvish about pitching before a game, Imanaga is a fun character to follow.
As aforementioned, his rookie season is off to a sensational start. During his last start on Tuesday, Imanaga pitched seven innings, allowing just two runs and striking out eight batters from 102 pitches.
Cubs News
With a 1.08 ERA through seven starts of his MLB career, he joins rare Cubs air for starters who have thrown sub-1.15 ERAs through any seven-game stretch of their careers. Jake Arrieta (2015), Warren Hacker (1952) and Grover Alexander (1920) are the only three to eclipse that mark in that time frame in Cubs history.