The Chicago Cubs may have just found a diamond. While the talks of Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominated the 2023-24 offseason, there was one other Japanese pitcher who was stepping foot into the US. However, unlike Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga rarely got attention and seemingly stayed in the shadows. But then the Chicago Cubs recognized his intense love for the city and signed him. And now it seems, that decision is about to pay off high dividends for the North Siders.

The $325 million deal of Yamamoto ensured that he’d forever be under a microscope. While dealing with that is already a struggle, his first major league game worsened the issue. In just one inning Yamamoto gave away 5 runs. That set the tone for the rivals and they used to banter the Los Angeles Dodgers fans. Yes, Yamamoto came back stronger in his second game by giving only 2 hits in 5 innings, the precedent had already been set. 

On the other hand, the $53 million Shota Imanaga wasn’t under so much media scrutiny. However, there still was a lot of interest in seeing how this WBC Final starter would do. After all, the 3x PL MVP Yamamoto had failed, would Imanaga do the same? Then on April 1, Imanaga finally made his MLB debut against the Colorado Rockies and what he did was historical.

The Throwing Philosopher gave the fans a masterclass on pitching. One after the other batters came and they left. Imanaga pitched 6 innings and had 9 strikeouts and 0 walks. If that wasn’t enough he pitched a no-hitter till the 6th inning and only then gave away 2 hits. According to Inside the Cubs, “It was the longest no-hit bid by a Cubs pitcher in his MLB debut since Amaury Telemaco on May 16, 1996.” 

In a way, Imanaga may have stolen the thunder of Yamamoto with his dazzling display. But then baseball isn’t a sport of just one game. As a result, it’s important to understand the advantages that both Yamamoto and Imanaga have over each other.

Shota Imanaga vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto – how different their styles are

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s greatest strength has always been his sheer power plus longevity. His tendency to go deep into the game was unmatched in Japan. While Yamamoto may be struggling with control currently, his second game showed that the ace knows how to fix those issues. However, Shota Imanaga cannot be much different from Yamamoto.

While Yamamoto approaches the teams with marathon-like endurance, Imanaga adopts a sprinter’s mentality. Specializing in strikeouts, he prioritizes the movement of his ball over its speed. Consequently, while one excels in power, the other reigns as the prince of movement. Thus, comparing them directly may not be entirely fair.

Then again, with their deals being so wildly different, this comparison was bound to exist. However, their MLB careers have barely started and things can always take a different turn in time. But one can’t deny – Chi-Town certainly struck gold with Imanaga.

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