It is very possible that the Chicago Cubs could have had multiple players make the All-Star game. First baseman Michael Busch holds a better slash line than the Mets’ Pete Alonso, who made the All-Star game. Ian Happ’s recent success could have certainly made him a replacement nominee. But if the Cubs had only one representative, it had to be Shota Imanaga.
Imanaga continues to impress in his first season of MLB action after coming over from Japan. In January, he signed a four-year deal worth $53 million that looks like quite the bargain for the Cubs. However, there is a mutual option after 2025. So, he could opt out if he thinks he is worth more than $15.25 million a year.
If the numbers continue on the current trajectory, he just might be. Imanaga has registered a quality start in eleven of his first seventeen MLB outings. 97 innings of work and 98 strikeouts lead the team with a 2.97 earned run average to go along with them. With the staff’s ace, Justin Steele, missing time early, Imanaga’s incredible start to his career consistently kept the Cubs afloat through injuries.
Shota Imanaga’s success granted him something no other Cubs player can ever say. He was the lone representative from the North Side of Chicago in the 2024 MLB All-Star game in Arlington, Texas. The uniforms were absolutely horrendous. But they could not stop Imanaga from showing out on one of baseball’s brightest stages.
Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga was given the keys to the National League’s fourth inning to display his wizardry at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. He began by forcing Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out to second. Then, he struck out Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman on a nasty sweeper low and inside. Marcus Simien was the only one to make solid contact off of Imanaga, but Jurickson Profar of the San Diego Padres was able to make the running grab in left field.
Imanaga’s complete perfect inning on Tuesday night was the only one accomplished by any National League pitcher during the All-Star Game. If anyone was unaware of his brilliance going into the game, they should know by now. However, the American League won the game by a score of 5-3.
Shota Imanaga will play an important role for the Cubs as they begin a crucial stretch of baseball against the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. The following two weeks could catapult them into a spot of contention with hopes of filling out a roster at the deadline. Or, it could have them thinking about the future and setting their eyes and hopes on 2025 and beyond.
Imanaga could also be in a race for the National League’s Rookie of the Year award. The front runner right now is Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who started the All-Star game for the National League. But there is a long way to go in the season. If Imanaga and the Cubs begin to ascend, the outlook could change.
