The Chicago Cubs season is set to get underway shortly and there are new faces ready to win over the fan base.
Shota Imanaga was the big move of the offseason and his introductory press conference won Cubs fans hearts over.
Now, it's time for Imanaga to do the same on the mound and bring the team wins.
He will be a rookie, despite being 30 years old and playing eight seasons of professional baseball. He's viewed much differently than the typical rookie because of his experience, but Major League Baseball considers him one.
As he enters his first season in the Unites States, the expectation is for him to have top-of-the-line stuff. He has ace material and that's what Chicago's hoping for this season.
Brian Murphy of MLB.com predicted that Imanaga will make the All-Rookie team in 2023-24, which would bring an impressive accolade to his rookie season.
Murphy was impressed with what he did in the World Baseball Classic last year, pointing to his seven strikeouts over six innings of work during the tournament.
The major concern for Imanaga is the amount of home runs he allowed in Japan.
He gave up 17 last season and has given up around 17 in many of his professional years.
He's not going to blow anyone away with his fastball, so he has to keep the ball down or get hitters off balance. Leaving the ball up in the zone in the big leagues is a recipe for disaster, and if he doesn't realize that early on, his career won't be what everyone's hoping it to be.
For Imanaga, that's what he needs to focus on.
If he can limit the home runs, he should find success and will have the opportunity to make the All-Rookie team in 2024.
More must-reads: