Shota Imanaga isn’t just all about throwing strikes—he is throwing vibes! Well, the Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher has quickly become a fan favorite, and the reason is not just his arm. He is coming off a stellar first MLB season after coming from Japan’s NPB, and now, he is winning hearts here. Imanaga’s fun, quirky, and loving personality is what baseball fans can’t seem to get enough of; from cracking jokes at conferences to lighting up interviews, he knows how to keep things lively in MLB.

But the real fun moment came when Imanaga stole the show during an MLB game night. In a now-viral Instagram clip that MLB posted, he was spotted at the claw machine. And well, he was great at this game too, and won. While that itself was a feat, his reaction after getting the gift was just priceless. Pure joy reflected in his face, and he celebrated in Cristiano Ronaldo fashion.

Shota Imanaga’s day out in the arcade

Shota Imanaga was with Lars Nootbar; as Game Night turned out to be epic, they faced off in classic arcade games like ‘Whac-a-Hole’, ‘Water Gun Fun’, and, of course, they couldn’t miss the infamous claw machine. And Imanaga won in the water gun game and the claw machine. He walked away, winning a tiny plush toy, so thrilled that he channeled his inner Ronaldo move and did the iconic ‘Siu’. And he didn’t end the celebrations just there.

Shota Imanaga ended up breaking into a baddy-coddling dance move and a superhero pose. Quite freaky and quirky, if one would ask. If there was an award for ‘MVP of Fun’, he would have won it. But this behavior isn’t new for him, as he has made quite a name for himself as a showman. This year, he did “Strikeout Bow” and his signature move, where he turned his back to the batter after K’s. Then, his mound exit against the St. Louis Cardinals in June was fiery, too. Joining Imanaga and Nootbar were Dylan Cease, the Padres pitcher; Mason Miller, the Athletics closer; and Brewers catcher William Contreras. But really, the Japanese star was the star that evening.

Imanaga has next-level nicknames

Chicago Cubs‘ Shota Imanaga has quite a few hilarious nicknames. When he was playing back in Japan, he was named ‘Throwing Philosopher’ because of his thoughtful and deep approach to the game. But Imanaga has a different take on it; during an interview with MLB, he mentioned, “Even when I try to say something normal, it comes out sounding sophisticated.” But wait, it gets even better!

Imanaga Shoto’s other name is Mike Imanaga II. Well, this name is vested not by fans to him, but a name he chose himself. He explained later that the baristas had a tough time spelling Shota. So, he went with Mike and the II, which was just added because it sounded cool. Well, he sure did embrace the chaos. As much as he is goofy off the field, he is memorable on his field, with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA that shows he is as good at striking out batters as he is with cracking jokes.