Shota Imanaga DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched well in a 2-1 extra-innings win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Imanaga allowed just one unearned run over five innings while scattering four hits, walking three, and striking out seven but had to settle for a no-decision in the contest. The veteran right-hander was a bit wild in the start but also managed to notch 12 swinging strikes against a dangerous Padres lineup. Imanaga has now made five starts for the Cubs, posting a 2-1 record, 2.22 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings of work. Imanaga will look to keep it going in his next start, which is set for Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga was excellent on the mound during the home opener against the San Diego Padres on Friday. The left-hander was almost perfect outside of a solo home run to catcher Martin Maldonado in the third inning. He allowed four hits, one run, and registered four strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings of work in the win. Imanaga has been impressive through two starts with a 0.98 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings of work. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Texas Rangers during his next start.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga earned a no-decision in his first start of 2025, but he held the powerful Dodgers' lineup hitless for four innings. He issued a pair of back-to-back walks to start the second inning and two more in the fourth inning but was able to avoid any damage. He struck out Teoscar Hernandez for the first strikeout of the MLB season and finished with two strikeouts on the day. He ended up throwing 69 pitches to get through four innings, so he'll need to improve his efficiency and cut down on walks going forward to go deeper into games. Aside from that, though, the 31-year-old lefty looked great in his first start of his second MLB season and will look to anchor the Cubs rotation once again this season. The Cubs start the stateside part of their schedule Thursday, March 27, with a four-game set in Arizona. The team has not announced its plans yet, but Imanaga will likely get his second start in that series.