NEWSLETTER
For all the issues in the Cubs rotation so far this season (injuries, underperformance), Shota Imanaga has been an absolute dream. And although I didn’t expect his first earned runs of the year to come against the Marlins (and their 48 wRC+ vsLHP), the fact that his streak lasted as long as it did is just fantastic.
What a fabulous introduction to MLB for the Cubs big offseason signing.
vsMIA: 6.0 IP, 5H, 2ER, 0BB, 5Ks
Season: 21.1 IP, 14H, 2ER, 2BB, 21Ks
All together, Shota Imanaga has a 0.84 ERA and has allowed just two earned runs and two walks through four starts. And while you could credit his success to a variety of factors, from his nasty splitter, which is currently generating whiffs at a truly staggering rate (51.2%) …
Shōta Imanaga, Nasty 84mph Splitter. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/2MV736qah6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 20, 2024
…to his unique fastball, which has resulted in just a .115 AVG and .192 SLG on the year. Today, I want to talk about his command.
As I mentioned, Imanaga has walked just two batters this season (2.4%), a feat shared by only three other pitchers with as many innings pitched. And because he’s pairing that with a 25.6% strikeout rate, Imanaga’s rocking a 10.5 K/BB ratio (4th highest in MLB). For reference, the leader in all of MLB last season, George Kirby, finished with a 9.05 K/BB. So, yeah, this is the elite of the elite we’re looking at here in a small sample.
What’s especially impressive about Imanaga’s lack of walks is that he’s not actually filling up the strikezone to do it. Through four starts, Imanaga has a 51.1 zone%, compared to the league average of 51.5%. That means he’s not being forced into the strikezone, where batters do damage, to get his strikes.
Along the same lines (and this logically tracks, of course), batters are offering at 38.7% of pitches out of the zone against Imanaga, which is WAY above the league average (27.4%). In fact, it’s the third highest mark in baseball. And that’s a really good place to be, because a swing on a pitch out of the zone is much more likely to result in a whiff or weak contact than a strike. And it obviously helps limit walks, as batters are eliminating would-be balls.
Now, the funny thing is that Imanaga actually DIDN’T have his best command against the Marlins yesterday, which led to this funny moment of frustration when he missed his spot, but still got the strikeout:
Shōta Imanaga's reaction after getting a K after missing his spot. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/EUsjX5pdiq
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 21, 2024
But he still succeeded. And although we have a long way to go on this season (let alone his contract), it’s difficult to imagine a better start than this.
