MLB's 30 Year Old Rookie Is Shocking Everyone

[@乖割大根]

During his time at NPB, Imanaga had lower grades than Yamamoto, but now Imanaga is more active. Considering this fact, the ability to adapt to changes in the environment is essential for success in MLB, and Japan may still have rich potential.

[@ahol9120]

He proves a pitcher doesn't have to throw 100% every single pitch to be successful in mlb. Hes so impressive with his location and how well he fields his position. Kinda Madduxesque!

[@aunch3]

Especially in today’s game of all or nothing hitters. If you can place your pitches well that’s far more effective than just throwing hard

[@オヤジ牛ちゃん]

レッドソックスの上原を思い出して欲しい

[@krnpowr]

He is throwing 100%, but not 100% his hardest. He's throwing 100% his best pitch that he can throw, not necessarily the hardest.

[@nofurtherwest3474]

@@krnpowrhe will have more longevity since less hard on elbow since slow fastball?

[@krnpowr]

@@nofurtherwest3474 It's not fastballs that blow out pitchers' arms. It's the breaking balls.

[@Improudofyou99]

It's nice to see a pitcher who isn't a flame thrower doing-well and holding their own.

[@nofurtherwest3474]

He doing way more than well. But let’s see if it will last

[@koningklootzak7788]

What creates Imanaga's superb performance? +Short height X high spin rate = elevated fast ball with more difficult angle. +Good commands. +High baseball IQ.

[@rocky_tee2861]

Shota is so valuable for the cubs. Pls make another video

[@KamiCorp2953]

I think people don't realise the longevity of his pitching style... He's not launching fast balls at 100mph each time, his play style will reduce his likelyhood of injury too

[@nofurtherwest3474]

I was just wondering about that. The trend has been faster and also ucl injuries are up. So this is refreshing Maybe speed is not the end all be all And him and Yamamoto are short for modern pitchers I wonder if this helps with deception

[@KamiCorp2953]

@@nofurtherwest3474 With his high box pitching style too, I think he's something the league needs right now

[@joninosaka]

He's just got a super unique 4-seam fastball that is a mystery to Major League batters. Masa Yoshida on the Red Sox might actually have the upperhand since he's faced him since high school. Ohtani has actually never faced Imanaga before in the Japanese league.

[@iskander0725]

I know this vid was about Imanaga and his hot start, but my guy... I haven't heard the name Jered Weaver in a minute... Man, he was a good pitcher from memory, and a name I hadn't thought about in a while. Alright, back to my regularly scheduled Cubs fan programming. It's been a lot of fun watching Shota this year. While I and really nobody else is expecting him to keep up this quite frankly filthy pace, it had been such a boon to know the Northside still got that magical eye to find an Ace. Hopefully, with the Steele man getting back to healthy this month, we can have a respectful 1-2 punch in the mouth followed by the ever underrated Javier Assad continuing to be a solid force for us. Definitely a rotation I can get behind as a fan. A nice mix of young guys and vets.

[@carsoncomplains]

I haven't heard much about Imanaga until this video. I know most of that is due to me not following baseball super closely, but this was a great introduction to him

[@madxD144]

those that are keeping tabs on MLB knows that he's a true pitcher

[@challenger516]

You must be living in a cave.

[@carsoncomplains]

@@challenger516 You must be living in brainlessness and/or unbridled hatred. I explicitly stated that I didn’t know Imanaga because I don’t follow baseball closely

[@blue52851]

Imanaga had 5 days between his starts in Japan, but he has only 4 days here, which is a tough adjustment. Cubs should not let him pitch on the 8th innings. I know the pen is weak, but they should not overuse him. They should improve the pen quick.

[@plummit24]

0.96 era after his start in Atlanta.

[@sunahamanagai9039]

I love how animated he is. Fun to look at yet so devastating.

[@Yurok23]

Perfect breakdown man, keep up the great work! Subscribed 👍

[@マーチン-l5f]

the throwing philosopher

[@yungruuku]

It would be sick if the cy young was between him and Yoshinobu

[@gabrielpaganBASEBALL]

Shota Imanaga's success is incredible in his MLB rookie career with Cubs

[@AVanMan]

It is so fun to watch

[@わわ-l8w]

2023 was Senga then this guy

[@jcdonathen]

Reason why they sept Shota in the game against the Padres till the 8th is because the Cubs bullpen is SUPER shaky right now.

[@woundedcrow4606]

Yeah. Also JD mentioned that nobody will really know how he performs the 4th time through the order if he never gets there. But yeah…the bullpen is abysmal

[@stevekim1755]

I wanted a video like this from Imanaga and you nailed it man! I dont usually sub but i did it after reading your stats at the end of the video 😢 you deserve more subs! Keep up the awesome work!

[@crystalfelts2404]

4:30 Rockies fan here, none taken 😁. I'm so so so much meaner when talking about the team

[@ta0paipai]

Shocking everyone but Baystars fans who know what a beast he is🦆.

[@Finedeserthouses]

I wonder how Roki Sasaki would do in MLB….

[@aduncaroo]

Shota is 🔥🔥

[@woundedcrow4606]

Wrigley Field turns from a pitcher friendly park to a hitter friendly park in the summer. But, he’s baffling hitters. They swing under his fastball. They swing over his splitter. They freeze on his sweeper. I’m hoping he can keep up this hot streak because the Cubs genuinely need him to be lights out

[@nofurtherwest3474]

What is sweeper

[@woundedcrow4606]

@@nofurtherwest3474 it’s a pitch that drastically changes direction horizontally

[@nofurtherwest3474]

@@woundedcrow4606 oohhh thanks

[@james4401-]

Great video man! Definitely earned a sub

[@3-0Greenlight]

Thank you glad you enjoyed!

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Awesome video Thank you I didn't know any of this Fascinating story

[@3-0Greenlight]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@natevart4156]

My favorite player in baseball

[@KenjiMapes]

After the Mets lost out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto who seemingly used the Yankees & Mets to drive up his price ended up signing with the Dodgers fora jaw dropping 12-year $325 million contract I wanted the Mets to kick the tires in Imanaga. I had an inkling that he might be good. He is known in Japan as the “Throwing Philosopher.” He doesn’t rely on 99mph fastballs but knows how to pitch by using an array of pitches & using all the areas of the plate along with a deceptive motion. I like pitchers like this because they have longevity. Former Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon lost his 95moh fastball but remade himself later in his career by using guile, movement & location. Anyway, I had no idea he’d be this good. Like Yamamoto he isn’t tall or big, but knows how to pitch. Yamamoto is only 5’10” & 170lbs when sopping wet. I feel like Yamamoto is going to end up having injury problems because he doesn’t have the frame. This isn’t the case for Shota Imanaga. Now the Cubs deservedly look very smart. Imagmag’s 4-year $54 million dollar contract looks like an absolute bargain compared to Yamamoto’s now. Now the only consolation that I have for my beloved Mets regarding Imanaga is that 30 other teams seemed to have totally kissed the boat on Imanaga. And also, the Mets smartly signed Kodai Senga who they thought could be a #3 type starter, but ended up being the Mets ace. You never know how the game of Japanese hitter & pitchers will translate over to the US game. For Japanese hitters you don’t know if the power will transfer over given the different balls & ballparks. For pitchers, the ball & mound is different which can obviously have a profound effect. However, if you can throw strikes, have a decent mix of pitches & some control, well that is universal to the game & should translate. Imanaga throws strikes, uses the entire strike zone & both sides of the plate & has a mix of different pitches. His game has transferred over flawlessly. Now 31 other teams not named the Cubs including my beloved NY Mets are kicking themselves for not signing Imanaga.🙁🫤😬🙄🫨😧 There is a young pitching phenom in Japan Roki Sasaki who is supposedly even better than Senga, Imanaga or Yamamoto. What’s more he has the prototypical power pitcher’s build as he stands at a tall but slender 6’4” & 205lbs. He looks the part more than Yamamoto. Yamamoto is known for his curveballs whereas Senga & more so Sasaki are known for their hard fastballs & forkballs. Sasaki is 22 years old I believe so he could post for MLB in 3 years I believe. After the success of Senga, Yamamoto & Imanaga, he should receive a record contract. Given that Sasaki has arguably the best pure stuff of the bunch you can bet he’ll break yhe bank. Man, is he going to beat out Yamamoto’s $325 million contract? I doubt it’ll be a 12 year contract like Yamamoto which is unheard of for a pitcher due to injury concerns but it will definitely smash the annual average value. I’d be surprised if he got a 7 year deal. I could foresee him getting something like 4 years & $200million. It’ll be a much shorter contract with a much higher annual average.😦😵😵‍💫 Hopefully the Mets sign Sasaki. If you look for videos of him on YT you’ll be blown away by his stuff. I’d liken him to the Japanese version of Paul Skenes. He’s a power pitcher prototype. For longevity though, I’d take a guy like Imanaga. He might not light up the radar gun but he just wins & knows how to pitch. You know what they say about availability too. Look at the rash of injuries to pitchers. I think 30-year old Shota Imanaga can pitch at least another decade. Not every pitcher is a freak like Justin Verlander🫤

[@bobsyoruncle4583]

This guy is no "rookie" - he's a seasoned pro with proven ability and confidence. What you see is what you get, and what we are seeing could very well turn out to be rookie of the year and Cy Young winner. One thing for sure - he is must-watch baseball.

[@BlueCatBuilds]

That delivery is wicked, whips it out last second

[@jeremygonzalez9749]

The background music makes me think my phone/iPad is constantly vibrating lol

[@jeyfromnowhere]

Here after he threw seven hitless innings against Pittsburgh.

[@davedronski7749]

Now how about we reunite Shota and Trevor Bauer!

[@bobsyoruncle4583]

on pace for a Cy Young slam dunk.

[@isiahcarattini7783]

alonso has slumped just as much as vlad and hes in a contract year its great content🔥✅☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[@JaeyGim-jk2zt]

Ryu Dogders did 80+ innings just 5 walks in 2019

[@sailadun6603]

Form and play style literally looks like that sawamura from diamond no ace lmao

[@putit-w6z]

昨年、今永はバウアーと同じチームの横浜ベイスターズでプレーした⚾️今永はバウアー先生に投げ方を教わった⚾️バウアーを尊敬しているし🙏学んだことが大きかった❗️⚾️👍️

[@sun6262-]

its already historic but if he eats innings this season i call him pitching one of if not the greatest first season ever

[@Mo_Ketchups]

We’ve seen this happen too often to start wetting our Zubas this fast. I love the guy, but let’s get a few more months (or the season) behind us before we hex him. 🤔 Juss sayin … this is a dubious trend that often doglegs after the league catches on. 🤷‍♂️✌️

[@KGLOOK565]

Trevor Bauer inspired Imanaga when they played together in Yokohama.

[@johncream814]

I disagree with the title. He was the favorite to win the ROY before the season even began.

[@robertclaiborne5391]

The sf starting pitcher rotation has everyone that can be the ace on the rockies team😢

[@fadhlioly]

it proves that you dont have to be 100mph fastbll to dominate the gme

[@stdocyuze9000]

Meanwhile, Japanese baseball fans knew better than to call Trevor Bauer a rookie in NPB last year. haha

[@blackpaw254]

Great breakdown, commentary and editing.

[@JarrodFLif3r]

He has a major challenge this week against the Braves.. Given how he handled the Dodgers, I would not bet against him.

[@jacksonmacrae3769]

0

[@SportsANDshish]

Ben brown is my favorite cubs young pitcher outta Assad wicks

[@imhip510]

Shocking??….. hes dis good? lmao….. lets just say….. imanaga is CUTE so far. The bar in chicago is so low right now that anything yall git from anybody is a gravy right now

[@Anim3Gamer]

As I was watching - I saw he was wearing a DeNa Baystars Uniform. Assuming he was playing for them last year - I'm sure he was swapping notes with a certain blackballed ex-MLB pitcher by the name of Trevor Bauer.

[@CXK13]

His era #’s are artificial as he never goes past 5-6-7 innings or sees the lines a 2nd or 3rd time which is unfortunately the game today and no fault of his own however that doesn’t allow him to be mentioned in the same conversation as the era greats of the past who pitched more complete games in a season individually than the entire league does now. If Koufax, Gibson, or any # of pitchers back in the day only went 5-6-7 inning an era of below 1.00 would have been the standard.

[@baseballworldwide9439]

hardly a rookie

[@imhip510]

Again the bar is damn near the ground folks…. Shit is bad in windy city

[@imhip510]

We bin sayin it all yr for yall lol Council aint gon b enough…..and he dont even play…. Gito

[@Theshowguy-vh8il]

He was teammates with Trevor Bauer maybe that helped

[@omari1362]

W

[@imhip510]

And yall are broke .….the biggest issue of all and simply can not afford the players thar are required

[@cocourth5611]

Shota Imanaga should not qualify as a rookie. He has professional experience. Rookies are players who are coming up from AAA or minors. This is why I think it's ridiculous when Hideo Nomo, Kazuhiro Sazaki, Ichiro Suzuki, Shohei Ohtani won "rookie" of the year. Rookie? my ass. They are not rookies. They were professional superstars. Calling them rookies is equivalent to calling NPB a triple A league, which is not true. Some will argue that Jackie Robinson played in Negro League before coming to MLB and he was awarded rookie. But this was during segregation times. Times have changed and no one is segregated anymore. Everyone is welcome to play in the MLB if they have skills. Merit is given where it's due. I look forward to Imanaga winning Cy Young rather than "rookie". Him along with Yamamoto should not qualify as "rookies".

[@abby78965]

If MLB has given Rookie of the Year titles to Nomo, Ichiro, and ohtani, ⚽️MLS should have given Messi the Rookie of the Year title as well.😁

[@TheWeakestSapling]

I think this is partially due to MLB not wanting to acknowledge stats for the NPB as major league stats. Otherwise, Ichiro would have the all-time hits record over Pete Rose. It's one or the other, and this is what the MLB chose.

[@cocourth5611]

@@abby78965 Exactly. They need to put in requirements of a rookie. If they had a professional experience for more than a year, then they should not qualify. I didn't know rookie can make 325 million dollars 12 years before stepping a foot into the MLB. Messi being a "rookie" in MLS, or Harry Kane being a "rookie" in Bundesliga. Or last season, give Haaland a "rookie" of the Premier League. Because it's really not fair for real rookies who are stepping into the league from the minors.

[@Guywithnolimbs]

Profar is so irrelevent who cares 😒😒😒😒

[@わわ-l8w]

I am Japanese but this is too early. he is good but people treat him a little too much with respect.

[@3-0Greenlight]

His ERA is the lowest for any player in MLB history through their first 9 starts. But as you said it is early, I agree with that. He still has another 20 or so starts to go.

[@matt23lng56]

Nice but idc what the numbers say it's still not as impressive as El Duque in 98

[@isiahcarattini7783]

PETE ALONSO

[@illuminatist33]

Hes not leading the league in walks per 9 theirs 2 lower

[@andrewyarosh1809]

Amazing start. What’s more amazing is he didn’t need an interpreter to say, “Let’s go!” for him. Unlike Ohtani, who has been in the US since 2018, but still needs an “interpreter.” Oh wait, or is that a personal bookie.

[@kevinc1891]

Ohtani is going to jail...

[@campingking9784]

Sure, for being a victim