This Chicago Cubs Ace should be spectacular this season

The Chicago Cubs have a starter on their staff who is primed to take off this season and possibly take home the Cy Young.

The Chicago Cubs have a talented roster from top to bottom with some areas still in need of some work. One of those areas that needs work is the starting rotation, which the Chicago Cubs have been looking for another high end starter to add to pair with lefties Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele. Shota Imanaga figures to be the Ace of this Chicago Cubs pitching staff and I think he’s primed to win the Cy Young award in 2025.

Shota Imanaga’s 2024 season

Shota Imanaga signed a four-year $53 million deal with a $1 million signing bonus with the Cubs on January 11th, 2024. In 2024 Shota Imanaga was amazing proving to be worth every penny the Cubs spent to obtain him.

The 31-year-old All-Star made 29 starts for the Cubs going 15-3 and having a ERA of 2.91. Imanaga also had an ERA+ of 137 (100 avg.), 174 strikeouts, a low 1.021 WHIP in 173.1 innings. Imanaga to his credit lead the league in strikeout to ball ratio with 6.21. The one drawback that Shota Imanaga has to lower his his HR9 rate which was at 1.4.

A deeper dive into Shota Imanaga number

MLB: Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles DodgersFinishing fifth in the Cy Young voting for last year it’s hard to not stay that Imanaga will make the leap to win the award this season. Being as dominant as he was in just his rookie season, his sophomore campaign should figure to be something spectacular.

The finalist for the Rookie of the Year, Imanaga’s Baseball Savant page speaks for itself as to why Shota will win the Cy Young for this season.

The five-ten lefty ranked in the 96th percentile when it came to his offspeed run value, as well as having his overall pitching run value rank in the 88th percentile. Both Imanaga’s chase and walk percentages stood in the 97th percentile which is impressive.

What also gives Imanaga an advantage against opposing hitters and is the reason he has such a high chase percentage is his seven pitch arsenal. Imanaga’s pitch mix consists of a fastball, a splitter, sweeper, a changeup, a curveball, a sinker, and a cutter. With Imanaga having a “slow curve” which he threw once last season.

Shota Imanaga has a simple approach to attacking hitters work quick and utilize his fastball up in the zone to work his splitter off it. Utilizing the two pitches at a 52% and 30.6% clip respectively.

Confidence from his skipper

It also helps Shota Imanaga’s case to win the Cy Young with his Manager Craig Counsel referring to Imanaga as a “genius” as a pitcher. Speaking of how Imanaga is as a pitcher overall Counsel stated:

“That’s the greatness of Shota is that it’s not different,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I still think the best thing and the genius in Shota this year is that he actually came here and simplified who he was.”

Craig Counsel also added in about his “simplifying” himself by adding:

“He actually made himself simpler,” Counsell said. “And there’s real genius in that, I think. And that was my kind of favorite thing about him is just watching him simplify things and get better.

“In a place where he had to have a lot of new things and different things thrown at him, most of us kind of make things more complicated in those situations. He made things simpler, and I think that was at the root of a lot of his success.”

Given that high praise and how simple but effective Shota Imanaga’s approach is this season should figure to be a major leap forward for Imanaga, given the league should have adjusted to him.

Shota Imanaga will take home the Cy Young award

Given all his stats, his intangibles, the confidence his manager has in him, and most importantly the confidence Imanaga has in himself, is a great sign that bodes well for him. With all those factors working for Shota Imanags there’s no reason why success shouldn’t come his way in 2025.

Having his rotational partner Justin Steele also predicted to get votes as well, having those two having success and it all culminating in either of them winning the National League Cy Young award for 2025.

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