The Chicago Cubs ace is in elite company after an impressive start to the year.
Chicago Cubs ace Shota Imanaga has been as good as advertised in his first four starts, sitting at 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA. With Justin Steele going down in the first game of the season, the Japanese star has done everything he can for this club to stay afloat when he’s on the mound.
Imanaga gave up his first two earned runs of the season on Saturday, allowing those two earned runs in a 6.0-inning performance against the Miami Marlins. He struck out five and had his third of four outings without giving up a walk.
Despite giving up his first home run of his big league career, the left-hander looked elite again. When Imanaga was in Japan, there were concerns that he was going to give up too many home runs, but that hasn’t been the case in the early stages of his MLB career.
Imanaga’s 3-0 record, 0.84 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and two walks in 21 1/3 innings is the fourth time a Cubs pitcher has posted those numbers through four starts, according to Stathead.
Kyle Hendricks, Dennis Eckersley, and Fergie Jenkins have also started the season in a similar way.
Looking around the league, Imanaga has been as good as anyone in baseball. His ERA and WHIP rank among the top of the league and his two walks allowed also have him in elite company.
Factor in that Steele could be returning in the next month and the Cubs have to feel confident in what they’re building on the bump.
