The Chicago Cubs are taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates and Shota Imanaga is putting on a show! He's playing so well that Imanaga is proving to be one of the more dominant pitchers in the league right now.
On Saturday, Imanaga pitched seven shutout innings against the Pirates. He now holds an impressive 0.84 ERA on the season, putting him in line with former great Fernando Valenzuela, according to MLB reporter Sarah Langs.
“SHOTA IMANAGA'S 0.84 ERA IS THE LOWEST IN A PITCHER’S 1ST 9 CAREER STARTS SINCE ER OFFICIAL IN BOTH LEAGUES (1913) [excluding openers] only other under 1.00: 1981 Fernando Valenzuela, 0.91.”
In fact, Shota Imanaga is in great company with how he's playing this season. The Cubs pitcher now holds the fourth lowest ERA in his first nine starts to a season. The only players ahead of him are Jacob deGrom, Juan Marichal, and Zack Greinke.
“Lowest ERA in 1st 9 starts of season, live-ball era (1920):
2021 Jacob deGrom: 0.62
1966 Juan Marichal: 0.69
2009 Zack Greinke: 0.82
2024 Shota Imanaga: 0.84.”
That is excellent company for Shota Imanaga. If he can maintain this type of production the Cubs may just have a superstar in the rotation. That's exactly what this franchise needs. Especially right now considering they're right behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
Shota Imanaga made his MLB debut this season and he's been on an absolute tear. After Saturday's game against the Pirates, the Cubs star now holds an impressive 0.84 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and a 0.943 WHIP. Additionally, he's now 6-0 on the season through nine starts. Imanaga should definitely be in the running for the Cy Young award.
Why the Cubs are on the come up
The Cubs last won a World Series in 2016 after snapping a 71-year drought. However, Chicago has not been back to the World Series since. So, the franchise is doing everything possible to make a championship run and they might be closer than many believe.
Chicago has a solid roster overall but they're still young and figuring it out in the MLB. The Cubs have a great lineup with several top prospects. So, as long as they develop those guys the offense should improve over the next couple of years. Meanwhile, the pitching rotation looks good too with Shota Imanaga going ballistic on the mound.
At the very least, the Cubs' future looks bright. They should be in the mix for a playoff spot down the road as long as they don't go on a cold streak. But this is a team that has the potential of eventually becoming a true contender in the league.
After defeating the Pirates on Saturday, the Cubs now hold a 25-21 record. Look for them to maintain this level of play and if they get hot, then watch out!
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