Shota Imanaga Bio
Shota Imanaga is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). Known by the nickname “The Throwing Philosopher,” he previously pitched for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2016 to 2023. A two-time NPB All-Star, Imanaga led the Central League in strikeouts in 2023 before signing with the Cubs. He has earned a reputation for precise command on the mound and has built a passionate international fan base, including a devoted following in Chicago.
Early Life and Background
Shota Imanaga was born on September 1, 1993, in Japan. He grew up in his home country and developed an interest in baseball during his youth, eventually channeling that interest into pitching. He attended Komazawa University, where he continued to refine his craft as a left-handed pitcher. His performances at the collegiate level caught the attention of professional scouts in Japan and set the stage for his entry into NPB.
Path to Baseball
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars selected Imanaga in the first round of the 2015 NPB draft out of Komazawa University. He made his professional debut in 2016 and quickly emerged as a reliable starter in the BayStars rotation. During the 2018-19 Australian Baseball League season, he joined the Canberra Cavalry, where he posted a 4-0 record with a league-best 0.51 earned run average over 35 innings, striking out 57 batters against just one walk. That dominant winter-ball stint helped him return to Japan with renewed momentum for the 2019 NPB season.
Shota Imanaga Career
Early Career (2016-2018)
Imanaga began his NPB career with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2016 and spent his first few seasons establishing himself within the organization’s pitching staff. He worked his way up the rotation, learning the rhythms of professional baseball in Japan’s Central League. By 2019, those early years of development began to pay off with his first NPB All-Star selection.
Yokohama DeNA BayStars Breakthrough (2019-2023)
In 2019, Imanaga posted a 13-7 record with a 2.91 earned run average, finishing second in the Central League in wins and strikeouts behind Shun Yamaguchi. He was also named an NPB All-Star that year, signaling his arrival as one of the top arms in Japan. On June 7, 2022, he pitched a no-hitter against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, striking out nine batters and allowing only one walk over 117 pitches.
Imanaga’s 2023 campaign was his most decorated in NPB. He led the Central League in strikeouts and earned his second NPB All-Star selection. On September 6, 2023, Yokohama announced that they would post him to MLB, opening the door for his transition to the major leagues. Over his NPB career with the BayStars, he became one of the most respected pitchers in Japanese baseball.
Chicago Cubs Era (2024-Present)
On January 11, 2024, Imanaga signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs that also contained a fifth-year option, with the Cubs paying a $9.825 million release fee to the BayStars. He made an immediate impact on April 1, 2024, pitching six shutout innings with two hits allowed and nine strikeouts in his first start for the Cubs. Through his first nine MLB starts, he compiled a 5-0 record with a then-league-leading 0.84 earned run average, earning an All-Star nod in his first MLB season.
On September 4, 2024, Imanaga delivered the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter and a 12-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge finishing the game. It was the 18th no-hitter and the second combined no-hitter in Cubs franchise history, and the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas accomplished the feat in 1972. Imanaga started for the Cubs on Opening Day in 2025 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB Tokyo Series, pitching four scoreless innings. On November 4, 2025, the Cubs declined his three-year club option and he became a free agent, but on November 18 he accepted the $22 million qualifying offer to remain with the Cubs for another season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Imanaga is a 5-foot-10-inch, 175-pound left-handed pitcher who throws from a three-quarters arm angle. His repertoire includes a fastball that averages nearly 92 mph and tops out at 96 mph, along with a changeup, curveball, and slider. He is not an overpowering hurler but instead finds success through precise command and the movement on his changeup, which has become his most reliable weapon against opposing hitters.
Notable Events and Milestones
Imanaga’s signature moment in MLB came on September 4, 2024, when he led a combined no-hitter at Wrigley Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates, ending a 52-year drought of no-hitters at the historic ballpark. He also represented Japan in international competition, including the 2019 WBSC Premier12 and the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he started the championship game that Japan won 3-2. His NPB no-hitter on June 7, 2022, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters stands as another career milestone.
Shota Imanaga Career Wins
Across his career in NPB and MLB, Shota Imanaga has produced consistent winning performances, highlighted by a 13-win season in 2019, a no-hitter in 2022, and a 5-0 start to his MLB career with the Cubs in 2024. His combination of command, strikeout ability, and poise in big moments has made him one of the most effective Japanese pitchers of his generation.
Nippon Professional Baseball Highlights
With the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Imanaga established himself as a frontline starter, earning NPB All-Star honors in 2019 and 2023. He led the Central League in strikeouts in 2023, capping a dominant final season in Japan before his posting to MLB.
Major League Baseball Highlights
In his first MLB season with the Chicago Cubs in 2024, Imanaga was selected to the All-Star Game and anchored a combined no-hitter at Wrigley Field. He continued his strong form into 2025, starting Opening Day for the Cubs in the MLB Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Shota Imanaga Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Details about Shota Imanaga’s parents and family background are not widely documented in public sources. His path to professional baseball was shaped primarily by his time at Komazawa University, where he developed into a first-round NPB draft pick in 2015.
Personal Life
Imanaga is widely recognized by the nickname “The Throwing Philosopher,” and he has said that his unique personality tends to come across as a little more sophisticated than he intends. He also nicknamed himself “Mike” because of the difficulty baristas at Starbucks had pronouncing his given name, and his Cubs locker nameplate was changed to read “Mike Imanaga II,” with the “II” added because, in his words, it “just sounds cool.”
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began on a high note for Imanaga, as he was named the Cubs’ Opening Day starter for the MLB Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He delivered four scoreless innings in that game, allowing zero hits and striking out two batters, though the Cubs ultimately lost and he received a no decision. His early-season outings reinforced his role as a key piece of the Cubs’ rotation heading into the heart of the schedule.
Following the 2025 campaign, the Cubs declined his three-year club option on November 4, making him a free agent. However, on November 18, Imanaga accepted the $22 million qualifying offer to remain with the Cubs for another season, ensuring his continued presence at the top of Chicago’s pitching staff. The decision provided stability for both player and organization heading into the next year.