Shota Imanaga

Active

Chicago Cubs · Pitcher

Age 325' 10" · 175 lbsThrows Left

FBaseball Overview

The 32-year-old left-hander enters 2026 coming off a season where he's already established himself as a reliable mid-rotation starter for the Cubs following his All-Star debut and All-MLB Second Team selection in 2024. His strikeout production remains solid with 92 strikeouts through the season, though both his ERA and WHIP have ticked upward compared to his 2025 form, suggesting some regression in command and effectiveness heading into the latter stages of the year. Fantasy managers should view Imanaga as a steady source of strikeouts and wins but temper expectations given his age and the recent uptick in his ERA; he's best suited as a backend starter in rotisserie formats rather than a centerpiece. The risk of further decline exists at 32, though his track record of consistency provides a floor of productivity for depth-oriented pitching strategies.

MLB Pitching

Year	Team	G	GS	W	L	ERA	WHIP	K	IP	BB
2024	Chicago Cubs	29	29	15	3	2.91	1.02	174	173.1	28
2025	Chicago Cubs	25	25	9	8	3.73	0.99	117	144.2	26
2026	Chicago Cubs	18	18	5	7	4.28	1.10	100	103.0	26
Career	Totals	72	72	29	18	3.53	1.03	391	421	80

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Pitching

Year	Team	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	WHIP	K	IP	BB
2025	2 teams▼	3	3	0	0	0	0.00	0.77	16	10.1	2
Career	Totals	3	3	0	0	0	0.00	0.77	16	10.1	2

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

FB Velo91.6 mph

Avg Spin2033 rpm

Whiff %30.3%

K %24.1%

BB %6.3%

Hard Hit %36.0%

Barrel %10.5%

xERA3.67

xBA Against0.227

xSLG Against0.402

BA Against0.227

SLG Against0.440

GB%38.8%

FB%32.2%

What These Stats Mean

FB Velo — Average fastball velocity. Harder throwers generate more swings and misses, setting up every other pitch in their arsenal. Velocity is the foundation of strikeout upside.

Avg Spin — Average spin rate across all pitches. Higher spin creates more movement and makes pitches harder to square up — elite spinners run better strikeout and batting average against numbers.

Whiff % — Swings-and-misses per swing. The most direct measure of a pitcher's ability to miss bats and the best leading indicator of strikeout rate.

K % — Strikeout rate per batter faced. The core fantasy pitching stat — high K% means reliable strikeout totals that hold up even in shorter starts.

BB % — Walk rate per batter faced. The primary control metric. High BB% tanks ERA and WHIP and keeps baserunners on constantly. Elite starters typically run below 7%.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder against. Low hard-hit% means weak contact, protecting both ERA and the defense behind the pitcher.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls barreled against. The most direct home run predictor — low barrel% pitchers rarely give up long balls.

xERA — Expected ERA based on contact quality allowed, removing the effect of sequencing, luck, and defense. Better predictor of future ERA than ERA itself.

xBA Against — Expected batting average opponents should hit based on contact quality. A gap between xBA and actual BA indicates unsustainable luck in either direction.

xSLG Against — Expected slugging allowed based on contact quality. High xSLG against predicts future extra-base damage; low xSLG means the pitcher is genuinely suppressing power.

BA Against — Actual batting average opponents are hitting — a key WHIP component. Check xBA to see if the number is sustainable.

SLG Against — Actual slugging allowed. Captures hits, doubles, triples, and home runs — lower means the pitcher is limiting the power damage he gives up.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% pitchers generate double plays, limit home runs, and keep the ball in the park — great for protecting ERA and WHIP ratios.

FB% — Fly ball rate. High FB% pitchers give up more air contact — dangerous when combined with high exit velocity, less so when contact is soft.

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Year

Team

ERA

WHIP

2024

Chicago Cubs

2.91

1.02

174

173.1

2025

Chicago Cubs

3.73

0.99

117

144.2

2026

Chicago Cubs

4.28

1.10

100

103.0

Career

Totals

3.53

1.03

391

421

Year

Team

ERA

WHIP

2025

2 teams▼

0.00

0.77

10.1

Career

Totals

0.00

0.77

10.1