NEWSLETTER
I won’t bore you with the same spiel about how Shota Imanaga is pitching like the best starting pitcher in baseball right now. You already know it in your heart and soul. (Although, it’s never actually boring.)
Instead, I simply wanted to note something very interesting that the Cubs have been able to do, and then wonder aloud how much it could be helping Imanaga find his highest level of success. Did you notice, by chance, that the Cubs went with a bullpen day yesterday against the Braves instead of pitching Shota Imanaga on “normal” rest?
Among the concerns folks had for Imanaga’s transition from Japan to Major League baseball was the fundamentally different schedule on which starting pitchers work. In the NPB, teams generally run a six-man rotation, with each pitcher throwing once per week. This arguably not only protects their arms, but it also allows them to throw more pitches and go deeper into games than in Stateside ball.
In MLB, however, starting pitchers are generally expected to be part of a five-man rotation, and without a consistent, set off-day each week that adds another day of rest. So instead of six full days of rest between starts, Imanaga might have to transition to making his starts on just four days of rest. Sure, the starts can be a little shorter because of MLB bullpen usage, but that’s a big physical adjustment. Hard to predict the impact.
Which brings me to the interesting thing the Cubs have quietly been able to pull off, despite all the rotation injuries and an unpredictable schedule: Imanaga has pitched on “normal” rest just twice all year. In the eight other starts, including tonight’s, Imanaga has had at least five full days of rest between starts. Quite a nice compromise as he transitions to MLB, and I don’t feel like there has been some noticeable negative impact on the rest of the pitching staff (despite all the injury issues!).
We can’t know for sure the impact that this schedule has had on Shota Imanaga relative to how he might have performed otherwise, but we do know that pitchers generally do better on more rest than less rest, and we also know that Craig Counsell has generally always tried to get his starting pitchers extra rest. So there’s probably a meaningfully impactful philosophy at play here, and it probably helps Imanaga. And hey, right now, whatever everyone is doing is working, so DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING.
Speaking of everything working, Imanaga’s success has now reached such a level that he’s getting invited onto the Pat McAfee Show, which included some fun bits if you haven’t seen:
