Shota Imanaga

Shōta Imanaga (今永 昇太), nicknamed "The Throwing Philosopher", and "Mike Imanaga II", is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars from 2016 to 2023. Imanaga is a two-time NPB All-Star and he led the Central League in strikeouts in 2023 before signing with the Cubs during the 2023–24 offseason.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars selected Imanaga in the first round of the 2015 NPB draft out of Komazawa University.

Imanaga signed with the Canberra Cavalry of the Australian Baseball League to play weeks 2–7 of the 2018–19 Australian Baseball League season In his six starts for the Cavalry, he posted a 4–0 win–loss record with a league-best 0.51 earned run average (ERA) over 35 innings pitched with 57 strikeouts to one walk. By meeting the statistical recognition minimum (0.8IP per team game), Imanaga broke the league records for WHIP (0.429), H/9 (3.6), BB/9 (0.3) and second-best ERA behind Ryan Searle. Following his ABL stint, Imanaga posted a 13–7 2.91 ERA, 2019 Nippon Professional Baseball season, finishing second in wins and strikeouts only behind Shun Yamaguchi in the Central League.

On June 7, 2022, Imanaga pitched a no-hitter against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He struck out nine and allowed one walk over 117 pitches.

On September 6, 2023, Yokohama announced that they would post Imanaga to Major League Baseball (MLB) following the 2023 season.

Chicago Cubs
On January 11, 2024, Imanaga signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs that also contained a fifth-year option. The Cubs also had to pay $9.825 million to the Bay Stars in the form of a release fee.

Imanaga pitched six shutout innings allowing just two hits with nine strikeouts in his first start for the Cubs on April 1, 2024. Through his first nine MLB starts, Imanaga compiled a 5-0 record with a then-league-leading 0.84 ERA.

International career
Imanaga represented the Japan national baseball team in the 2019 exhibition games against Mexico and 2019 WBSC Premier12.

Imanaga played for the Japanese national team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and started the championship game in which Japan won 3–2.

Playing style
Imanaga is a 5 ft 10 in, 175 lb left-handed pitcher throwing from a three-quarters arm angle. He has a fastball averaging nearly 92 mph (tops out at 96 mph ), changeup, curveball and slider in his repertoire. He is not an overpowering hurler but finds success with his command and changeup.

Personal
When asked by a reporter about receiving the nickname "The Throwing Philosopher," Imanaga replied (through an interpreter) "I know that I have a unique personality. If I'm trying to say a normal thing, it comes out a little sophisticated." Prior to starting his MLB career, he said at a press conference (through an interpreter), "I am by no means a finished product and there is a lot of me to learn, and there is a lot for me to study day-in and day-out. And I believe that, somehow, my approach in that way earned me the nickname."

When asked how he felt pitching in New York for the first time, Imanaga replied (through an interpreter) "The view from the hotel, I recognize it from Spider-Man. So I was just like, oh, this is where Spider-Man was."

Imanaga nicknamed himself "Mike" because of the difficulty baristas at Starbucks had pronouncing his name. The nameplate on his locker was changed to read "Mike Imanaga II"; the "II", according to Imanaga, "just sounds cool".