EXCLUSIVE: Chicago Cubs’ Senior Pitching Coordinator Backs Shota Imanaga for MLB Success, Highlights Japanese Star’s Extensive Arsenal

The Chicago Cubs signing Japanese star Shota Imanaga was pretty much a fairy tale. Imanaga fell in love with Chi-Town the moment he landed. He wished that the Cubs had made him an offer, and when they did, he accepted it immediately. But there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure that this romance stays strong, even on the field. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Chicago Cubs’ Senior Pitching Coordinator Casey Jacobson shared why he thinks Imanaga will do well on the North Side.

Imanaga, the starter for WBC, has made a name for himself due to the vast variety of pitches that he has. Despite not being the fastest pitcher, “the deep arsenal” of techniques plus “the command” of the baseball that Imanaga has makes him dangerous. Jacobson noted this ability while talking about the philosopher.

Shota Imanaga could be a great fit for the Chicago Cubs

Imanaga excelled in NPB, but MLB is a different beast. Usually, it takes a lot of time before players can adjust to the demands of the major leagues. This becomes especially true when players come from different countries, as the adjustment to the lifestyle becomes a big issue. However, in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Casey Jacobson shared that Imanaga’s talent could translate well in the MLB.

“I think you have to look at that track record and be pretty confident that this guy is going to be able to come in and have some success.” Jacobson then talked about Imanaga’s abilities. “And be able to navigate lineups multiple times with the deep arsenal that he has and the command that he has of everything. It’s a lot of things that you want to see when you’re going to look at projecting out a successful major league pitcher.” Jacobson shared.

However, it’s not just the talent that is important; it’s Imanaga’s experience. The ace is entering the major leagues with eight years of experience. Jacobson explained how there are different ways in which Imanaga can be used. “Pitching at the highest level, there’s a lot of experience, there’s a lot of weapons that you can deploy to different hitters. The game-planning opportunities are gonna be really, really vast. So, it’s gonna be, I think it’s gonna be pretty successful.”  Jacobson said.

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In the end, Jacobson hoped that Imanaga could smoothly transition into his new lifestyle. If that happens, the baseball will automatically take care of itself. The Cubs may have already won the lifestyle battle since Imanaga reportedly loves spending time in Chicago.  

A high-performing Imanaga could prove to be a major factor in the Cubs continuing their recent upward trajectory. With the team looking to become a consistent playoff presence, it’ll be interesting to see how the team will employ the big Japanese weapon in its arsenal.

Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Chicago Cubs’ Senior Pitching Coordinator Lauds Marcus Stroman, Opens Up on 2X All-Star’s Impressive Body Control