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Cubs' Shota Imanaga Shows Off-Field Talent

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Davis | Last updated Feb 27, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Amid Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga's Cactus League debut on Wednesday, his off-field skills drew some attention as well.

Imanaga played "Go Cubs Go" on guitar, which MLB's social media posted on Instagram on Wednesday. On the field, Imanaga pitched 2.2 innings, striking out six batters but giving up three earned runs on three hits.

The Cubs tied the San Francisco Giants 4-4 in the nine-inning spring training game. Chicago (6-0) remained unbeaten in spring training, while the Giants fell to 2-2.

"I think, today, in the first inning, my output was a little too much that like in the second and third inning, dropped a little bit," Imanaga told reporters via a translator. "So I think if I can maintain that output from the first inning as a starting pitcher, I think, that's my goal."

Imanaga, 31, joined MLB last year after eight years with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball. A native of Kitakyushu, Japan, Imanaga signed a two-year, $22.5 million contract with the Cubs in 2024.

In his first season with Chicago, he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Previously, he had a 64-50 record, a 3.18 ERA, and 1,021 strikeouts in eight NPB seasons.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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