Chicago Cubs All-Star Shota Imanaga hasn’t been in Chicago very long. In fact, he hasn’t been in America very long, either. The 30-year-old rookie is roughly halfway through his first MLB campaign after eight seasons in Japan, where he was a two-time NPB All-Star. He made the jump to the majors last offseason, joining the Cubs on a four-year, $53 million deal that already looks like a steal. Imanaga has made the transition to the majors look seamless, going 8-2 with a 2.97 ERA in his first 17 starts for Chicago while setting or matching several records. He made the National League All-Star team and pitched a scoreless inning against the American League’s best, cementing his status as one of the best pitchers in baseball.
