Statistic Shows Insane Impact Shota Imanaga Makes on Chicago Cubs

A new statistic has been shared that shows Chicago Cubs star pitcher Shota Imanaga's impact.

Jul 21, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs picked up a massive steal when they signed starting pitcher Shota Imanaga in free agency. While fans were clamoring for Shoehi Ohtani, the Cubs' front office ended up landing one of the best pitchers in baseball this season.

As a rookie, Imanaga has completely won over the city of Chicago. He has put up monstrous numbers on the diamond and has enertained fans with his infectious personality off of it.

Now, a new statistic has come out that shows just how much of an impact Imanaga makes on the Cubs when he's pitching.

Marquee Sports took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share how good the team has been when Imanaga is their starting pitcher.

The Cubs are DOMINANT when Shota Imanaga starts 😤 pic.twitter.com/iHdYyX2qU1

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 21, 2024

Needless to say, those are ridiculously good numbers.

Throughout the course of the 2024 season thus far, Imanaga has started in 18 games. In those appearances, he has compiled an 8-2 record to go along with a 2.86 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, a 6.4 K/BB ratio, and 104.0 innings pitched.

Those numbers place him firmly in contention to be an NL Cy Young candidate.

Chicago has been needing another star pitcher in the rotation. Justin Steele has developed into a legitimate ace and now the Cubs have Imanaga as well. The two together will make a dominant one-two punch for years to come.

Unfortunately, the major success from the team's two star pitchers has not been enough to bring major success to the team as a whole. Chicago is just 48-53 so far this season and are quite a ways out of playoff contention. Things can change, but the season hasn't gone well so far.

With the MLB trade deadline just over a week away, the Cubs will have some tough decisions to make. There is a good chance that Jed Hoyer and the front office will end up selling off some talent.

Despite the disappointing season, Chicago is in a good place looking ahead to the future. Imanaga is going to be a major cornerstone for the franchise moving forward and is a huge bright spot in what has been a very rough all-around year.

Hopefully, his success will continue moving forward. Imanaga has taken baseball by storm and has shown no signs of slowing down yet.