Shota Imanaga - MLB News, Rumors, & Updates

Cubs' Shota Imanaga offers humorous commentary on Okamoto and Murakami's career home runs The Chicago Cubs boast Shota Imanaga as their representative from Japan. While Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami have found homes with ot...

2 DAYS AGO • BOLAVIP.COM

Velocity up in spring debut Imanaga allowed three hits across two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Padres. He struck out one.

Impact Making his spring debut, Imanaga looked sharp as he logged 33 pitches. Most notably, his fastball velocity was 93 mph on average in the contest, which is up from last season's 90.8 mph average, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. This supports reports coming out of camp about increased velocity for Imanaga. It remains to be seen if this is just a blip for the southpaw in a short start or something he can actually sustain throughout the year. If Imanaga can regularly throw harder, he might be able to improve upon last season's 7.3 K/9, which was down from the 9.0 K/9 he recorded during his 2024 rookie campaign.

4 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

In spring debut, Imanaga already seeing encouraging uptick in velocity MESA, Ariz. -- There was a significantly larger crowd of Japanese media gathered around Cubs starter Shota Imanaga after his spring debut on...

4 DAYS AGO • MLB.COM

Healthy again, Cade Horton looking for a big second season with the Chicago Cubs

Cade Horton was a breakout performer for the Chicago Cubs last year

FEBRUARY 19 • Associated Press

Better velocity this spring Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Imanaga has been throwing harder this spring, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Impact Counsell didn't offer specifics on Imanaga's velocity, but he believes the left-hander wasn't throwing as hard last season because a hamstring injury caused his mechanics to get out of whack. After averaging 91.7 mph and earning a plus-4 run value by Baseball Savant with his four-seamer in 2024, Imanaga averaged 90.8 mph and netted a minus-10 run value in 2025. The southpaw accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer this offseason to return to the Cubs in 2026.

FEBRUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Working on pitch mix in camp Imanaga is working on his pitch repertoire in spring training, including tweaking his sweeper and sinker grips and adding a cutter, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Impact Chicago pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said the goal is to help Imanaga throw his sweeper from his "natural arm slot." With the sinker, they want to find a grip that helps the pitcher maintain velocity. Imanaga is also working to reintroduce a cutter after not throwing the pitch last season. The 32-year-old primarily used his four-seam fastball and splitter in 2025, and after a strong start to the year that resembled his stellar 2024 rookie campaign, he stumbled some down the stretch to finish with a 3.73 ERA. Imanaga will aim to get back on track with his revamped pitch mix, and he makes an intriguing fantasy target with some bounceback appeal if he's able to rediscover his rookie form, when he posted a 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 174 strikeouts across 173.1 innings.

FEBRUARY 14 • ROTOWIRE

Shota brings philosophical approach, renewed focus to important spring MESA, Ariz. -- Shota Imanaga would love nothing more than to return to the form that he displayed in his sensational rookie campaign two sea...

FEBRUARY 13 • MLB.COM

Ten years after winning World Series, Cubs enter 2026 with similar expectations

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a 92-win season, return much of a productive and athletic lineup, have a deep group of talented pitchers and signed three-time All-Star third basema...

FEBRUARY 11 • Associated Press

Picking potential landing spots for top remaining free agents It’s a lot of fun Photoshopping new uniforms on popular players this time of year, but there’s also something to be said for stability. This...

JANUARY 10 • MLB.COM

Cubs acquire right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins

The Chicago Cubs have acquired right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins in their first major offseason move

JANUARY 7 • Associated Press

What’s Next: With Tatsuya Imai Off the Board, Here Are the 5 Best Remaining Starters

Tatsuya Imai is off the board after signing with the Houston Astros. Here's a look at the remaining crop of free-agent pitchers.

JANUARY 1 • FOX SPORTS

What’s Next: With Tatsuya Imai Off the Board, Here Are the 5 Best Remaining Starters

Cubs predicted to land $157 million NPB superstar ace, create powerful 1-2 punch with Shota Imanaga | Sporting News This would give the Cubs one of the better 1-2 punches in baseball.

DECEMBER 27, 2025 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Why Shota Returned, How He Can Return to Form, Real Value, and Other Cubs Bullets - Bleacher Nation How does Shota Imanaga get back to who he was in 2024?

DECEMBER 18, 2025 • BLEACHERNATION.COM

How Imanaga's return might shape Cubs' offseason search for pitching ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Cubs were not certain if Shota Imanaga was going to agree to the one-year offer on the table last month or take his cha...

DECEMBER 9, 2025 • MLB.COM

3 goals for the rest of the Cubs' offseason The Cubs already have made a couple of notable moves since the start of the offseason, bringing back Shota Imanaga on the one-year qualifyin...

NOVEMBER 26, 2025 • MLB.COM

"Completely fearless" - Jameson Taillon reveals 2 biggest lessons he learned from Shota Imanaga Having joined the Chicago Cubs in January 2024, Shota Imanaga quickly established himself as an important part of the starting rotation, and...

NOVEMBER 24, 2025 • SPORTSKEEDA.COM

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner declines to say he supports salary cap but might support salary floor

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has declined to say whether he favors a salary cap proposal in the next collective bargaining agreement but reiterated he might support a sa...

NOVEMBER 24, 2025 • Associated Press

Cubs targeting starting pitching: Pros and cons of top 5 FAs Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer made it clear during the General Manager Meetings earlier this month that his club’s priorit...

NOVEMBER 22, 2025 • MLB.COM

Grisham returning to Yankees after accepting qualifying offer Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff and Detroit second baseman...

NOVEMBER 19, 2025 • DELCOTIMES.COM

Cubs' Shota Imanaga accepts qualifying offer per report | Sporting News Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga has reportedly accepted a qualifying offer to return to Chicago again next season.

NOVEMBER 18, 2025 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Imanaga accepts qualifying offer to return to Cubs (source) Left-hander Shota Imanaga is accepting the $22.025 million qualifying offer to return to the Cubs, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on...

NOVEMBER 18, 2025 • MLB.COM

Imanaga, Woodruff, Grisham, Torres among record 4 to accept qualifying offers

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff, New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham and Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres were among a re...

NOVEMBER 18, 2025 • Associated Press

REPORT: Shota Imanaga Accepting the Cubs' Qualifying Offer - Bleacher Nation The Cubs get Shota Imanaga back for a third year.

NOVEMBER 18, 2025 • BLEACHERNATION.COM

Takes QO, stays with Cubs Imanaga accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer from the Cubs on Tuesday, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Impact The Cubs declined Imanaga's three-year, $57.75 million option earlier this month, but the left-hander will remain in Chicago after taking the team's qualifying offer. Imanaga held a 4.70 second-half ERA and 8.10 ERA in two postseason starts, but he boasts a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 291:54 K:BB over 318 regular-season innings since the beginning of the 2024 campaign.

NOVEMBER 18, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Cubs' free agent Shota Imanaga gets ESPN insider update after $57.75 million contract decision | Sporting News Chicago's lefty is on the open market.

NOVEMBER 18, 2025 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

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