CHICAGO (AP) — The road for Shota Imanaga from Japan to the major leagues included at least one sharp observation that has served him well in his transition to life with the Chicago Cubs.
“Watching foreign players in Japan and how they try to figure out how to get support from the fans, essentially I’m just doing the opposite of that, coming over here,” Imanaga said through a translator. “It was something I thought about.”
From his entertaining pitching style to his trips to Dunkin’ Donuts — “Either I order a small iced latte or a medium,” he said — Imanaga has moved with a purpose in his acclimation to the big leagues. And he is making it look easy at the moment.
Relying on a deceptive four-seam fastball that he usually locates at the top of the strike zone, along with a splitter that plays at the bottom, Imanaga is 5-0 with a 0.84 ERA for the contending Cubs. The left-hander also has 58 strikeouts and nine walks in 53 2/3 innings — thrusting himself into the early conversation for NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award.
Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
Xi Urges Efforts to Carry Forward Great Founding Spirit of CPC and Yan'an Spirit
Xi Meets Argentine President Fernandez
Xi Sends Condolences to Indian President, PM over Bridge Collapse
Bella Hadid goes braless in a thigh
Xi Meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Xi Arrives in Indonesia's Bali for G20 Summit
China Issues White Paper on Community with Shared Future in Cyberspace
Justin Timberlake set to bring his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour to Australia in 2025
Federation Cultivates 'Legal Docents' to Help Protect Women's Rights
Kate Hudson hits the stage to debut songs from her new album Glorious at star
Wenzhou Organizes Family Related Activity