Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the biggest prize by far in free agency this past offseason, as the starting pitcher from Japan came with an incredibly polished skill set and big-game experience at just 25 years of age, which is the reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers gave him a 13-year, $325 million contract.
Fellow Japanese ace Shota Imanaga was seen as a consolation prize, but he has been anything but that with a 7-1 record and 1.89 ERA for the Chicago Cubs so far this season, and one insider recently revealed why so many teams missed on him in free agency.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently said that “there were some things that gave teams pause and there’s a reason why he got 1/6th of what Yamamoto got” and mentioned his size, his age, and his lack of high-end velocity gave teams reasons to be unsure about him.
Imanaga is only 5’10” and 170 pounds and is already 30 years old, and his 4-year, $53 million deal is already looking like quite the bargain for the Cubs as Imanaga has outperformed not only Yamamoto, but nearly every other starting pitcher in the league.
His infectious personality has also superseded the language barrier, and Imanaga is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Chicago.
Not only is Imanaga separating from the field in the NL Rookie of the Year race, but he is also well on his way to becoming an All-Star and has a legitimate case for the Cy Young award at the moment.
You can’t help but root for the guy.