#MLBVideos: Almost 20 minutes of highlights from Shota Imanaga’s 2025 season! | 今永昇太ハイライト

Almost 20 minutes of highlights from Shota Imanaga’s 2025 season! | 今永昇太ハイライト

Shota Ianaga, Alex Cohen, Jim Deches, and JD. What an atmosphere here today from Tokyo, Japan. Yeah, man. I was just out on the concourse a little while ago, and everybody had a little extra bounce in their step. Fans are fired up. The players are excited. And why not? We got a jam-packed house. We got just a thrilling night of baseball ahead of us. And obviously, kind of underneath everything that the the whole moment that Japanese baseball is having right now. And uh this Uh, Imanaga, Yamamoto, Otani, Suzuki. Uh, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Show Otani steps to the plate. Comes Dodgers Shota Imanaga versus Show Otani. 2025 Major League Baseball season about to get underway. Chopper towards second. One away. Two caught on a miss. Strike three. Chota Imanaga strikes out Tayscar Hernandez and a one two three inning to start things off in Tokyo. It’s hit in the air to left. Ian Hap calls off Dansby Swanson makes the catch and Shela Imanaga gets out of the inning. Nothing nothing. Let’s go to the bottom of the second. Swing and a miss. Strike three. That is the second strike out for Shota 1-1. Crowder to third. Shaw gobbles it up. Three outs. One, two, three inning from Shot Immanaga. It’s one to nothing. The Cubs will go to the bottom of the third. Those games were wild as well. And I was glad the guys got to see the Japanese culture, all the chanting for every hitter. And uh it’s a different environment than we’re used to. Very uh European footballlike. And I’m glad the guys got to see that. The ace of the Cub staff a year ago pitched very well his first time out against the Dodgers in that opening game. Swang and a miss. Imanaga gets Gritic. Swang and a miss and he carves up Corbin Carroll to 2-2. Swang and a miss. Here’s the pitch. Swang and a miss and Moreno is gone. Shota leads him out onto the field. What a first year he put together and already what a first couple of starts he has put together here in 2025. And that one is in there. Got him. Machado down on strikes and Shota gets him. One, two, three. Swing and a miss. Struck him out and Machado is gone for the second time today. Yeah. First time he got caught looking at an inside corner fast ball. This time a more typical Imanaga strikeout. The elevated four seamer. Swaging a miss and Merrill is gone. Bad hack by a good hitter. This is a breaking pitch. Normally you’re not going for that collarbone high slider. Swag and a miss. Even Naga gets in. And that’s the fourth punch out for Shota coming here in the late stages. Two of them. How high will they go? Here’s BCH. Picks it up, steps on the base, and Lockridge is out. KD, by the way, that’s the first time he’s ever gotten an out in the eighth inning. But Skip, I went deep. Fans are not happy with the pitching change, but there will be a huge ovation. Shoda Ianaga taking the mound. And here this afternoon, Shota and the Cubs looking to sweep the Rangers. How spectacular has he been in a Cub uniform? How great has Shota been at home. Swing and a miss. Strike three. That’s out number two. Strikeout number one for Shota. Now the one two on the way. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Shot strikes him out. That is strike out number two for the Cubs left-hander. The pitch swing and a miss. Strike three. A splitter that gets to Varys. Seager swings through that. Seager who homered first time. Fly to left and a punch out. A good fast ball from Maga to finish him off. Shota who had a brilliant start against the Padres’s earlier this year. fifth start of the season. Take a look at that outstanding erra. And even better than that, look at his record, the Cubs record in games that he has started. Swang and a miss. Bogarts is gone. And show’s gotten the first four. He must have got in trouble cuz I think everybody in Chicago knew that split finger was coming there. Swang and a miss. Got him to chase. He went after the splitter. Backto back strikeouts and there’s two away. I think the thing that separates and what makes that splitter so good is the fact that he can elevate that fast ball. Check swing went too far. Struck him out. That’s what pitching’s all about right there. A little get over breaking ball to begin with. Then he tries to speed up the bat with something in and he goes to the chase zone. One, two, cut out and missed. He struck him out. It looked like Machado was thinking splitter and a big strike out. Now two away. Swing and a miss and Hayward is gone. Throw to first to complete it and now two down. Swing and a miss. Struck him out and Maldonado is gone. They leave a couple. Well, Shod Imanaga has struck out a half dozen. Living dangerously in the third and the fourth, but still no score. A rise can’t believe he got rung up on that pitch at seven punch outs now for Shota Imanaga. Shota Imanaga making his sixth start. They’re four hitless against the Dodgers over in Tokyo on opening day and the Cubs are 26-8 in his starts. That’s a 765 winning percent. Cod on a miss strike three. Shoda gets the best of Freddy Freeman. Strike out number one and it’s a big one for out number two. Cod on a miss strike three. Sha strikes out. That’s a great pitch. Shota freezes Freddy Freeman. Now he does go with that splitter left on left and good execution. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Strike out number 200 for Shota Ianaga in a Cubs uniform. He Ks Kik Hernandez. Two outs. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Shota strikes out again. One away. Shota Ianaga making another start against the Pirates. See a sparkling 056 RA in his three starts away from Wrigley. Two-2. Got him. Odil Kruzu strikes out swinging and Shota Imanaga three scoreless innings. Two-2 got him. So one away. Two nothing Cubs lead 02. Got him. There’s the call we’ve been looking for. This is a particular challenge for a guy like Shota Ianaga. First ever start against the Yankees. Swang and a miss and he gets Goldmid. Still a big strike out to begin. Lefty to the plate. Swang and a miss. Struck him out. 3-2 in there. Got him looking. Dominguez is gone. Swang and a miss. A one, two. See you later. He’s down for the second time. And Iaga gets the better of him again. In there. Got him. Stanton is gone. No argument. They’ll go up against the lefty. Shota Ianaga tonight. Three and one since coming back from a hamstring injury. 02 and he gets a swing and miss from Gonzalez on that splitter outside. Lefty on lefty chance with the sweeper and a strike out. Imanaga gives up a double on the first pitch but leaves a man stranded. Snider waves and misses. So that Imanaga splitter, one-two pitch to Romy Gonzalez and he waves and misses to finish off a 1, two, three, nine pitch third inning. And he gets another strike out on that splitter. Four of his 5ks coming on that disappearing split. Connor Wong first pitch swinging. Pops it up. Bush is out. Horner is out. It will be her and I imanaga for a second consecutive start. Goes seven shut out innings. Impressive work. Numbers on show to 297 RA since the beginning of last year. Seventh best among lefties with 150 innings or more. Right through there. Got him. And Freelick is gone. Swang and a miss. And he got him to chase on the splitter. Two-2. Swing and a miss. struck him out. Perkins back in awaiting a 2-2. Foul tipped into the mid of Kelly. Struck him out. The one two swang and a miss. Struck him out the one two. Swang and a miss. Struck him out. And that’s a half dozen strikeouts for Ianaga. Outside corner. Ring him up. And he’s matched the season high with seven strikeouts. Ianaga struck him out. Eight punch outs and five solid innings for Shota Imanaga. Shota Imanaga making start number 16. With him on the mound, the Cubs are 33 and 11. And a swing and a miss. Imanaga gets him. Oh, in there. Got him. And Hayes is gone. Struck him out. Two away. Swag and a miss. And that quickly there are two outs. Swang and a miss. Got him on a splitter. Swang and a miss. He went upstairs, struck him out and Fredle fires outside corner. Got him. De la Cruz knew it. And here comes Craig Council out to get his starter. Should get a nice hand. Seven strikeouts tonight. Six and a third for Shota Imanaga. Really good work. Imanaga very much a flyball pitcher. His strikeout rate is down below average, but his walk rate very good as well. His sweeper against lefties is devastating this year. So he really is tough on lefties and really relies on the fly ball to righties. Bal Burlston was trying to hit a home run there. So hard was that swing. The helmet flew off as Iaga picks up his first strike out when he loads. He loads up to the baseball, but he has to start it early. He’s too late. Yeah, he’s late there and a splitter down and away. Backto back punch outs for Ianaga. Well, this is generally how I imanaga finishes off right-handed batters with that splitter down. They’re getting Assad back. They’re getting Tyion back, but I immag grind here. And call strike three to Herrera. Swinging a miss. Contras chasing Imanaga. Five strikeouts were showed up in Managa. 3-2 to the former two-way player at East Carolina. Burlson gone again. He was striking guys out in college. He’s been punched out twice tonight. And that’s a half dozen for Shota Ianaga. Forcing fast ball off of that little semi- double leg kick right down the shoot at the knees. And Burlson’s late. Balls in the glove. And as a result, for only the second time in Jose’s 18 years were they sellers at the deadline. Imanaga picks up another strike out. He’s got seven as Saji is gone. Wind digs in again and Imanaga fires and he strikes him out and that is strikeout number eight for Shota. He’s thrown a lot more of these tonight. Two sweepers and to right-handers. We talked about him getting a little predictable with basketball splitter to righties. He’s thrown a lot of this. Two two ball game. Both starters into the seventh inning. Imanagago works with eight strikeouts and now nine and Contraras knew it. There’s just great carry on his four seam fast ball. It’s much more than 91 mph. The active spin, the perfect backspin on it. He’s got 99% active spin, which is the type of spin that creates movement, that riding action. Imanaga leads the Cubs out onto the field. Look at these numbers over his last four starts. Yeah. I mean, we’re talking elite strike throwing, the ability to limit limit damage even to a righty. Look at that. That’s le below league average in OPS. Oh, two triolo swing and a miss. Struck him out and a good start for Mike. Here’s a 3-2 check. Swing. Did he go? You bet. Yes, he did. Phil Cussy rings him up. Swing in a miss. Got him to chase. It’s strikeout number three for Imanaga. That one is in there and Pagarro is going on strikes. Here comes the one two to Canario. Line drive caught by a leaping Swanson on the edge of the outfield grass with the back hand. Once again, Dansby proving why he’s a goal glover as he gets a great jump on this ball. And that’s it. The first step to his right allows him to get extended, get his body going in the right direction and of course makes a great play. showed his love in that defense behind him. In there, got him. I freezes Pagarro. Strike out number five. Now trying to finish off Canario. Here comes the crowd. 1-1 in the seventh. The pitch. Got him swinging and it was a good split. I gets Canario. Another quality start for Shota Ianaga who went seven innings giving up just one run on three hits, two walks, and struck out six. Shota Imanaga always excited to be out there as the lefty gets the start. Remember he had that injured hamstring May 4th at Milwaukee that cost him seven weeks of his season. And still JD last year he was an all-star in the team’s best pitcher and he’s been really good again this year. That’s right. Swing and a miss. Splitter that time and Durban is gone. The splitter that behaved like a slider, didn’t it? Watch the action on the split finger diving down and in to Durban. One, two, swing and a miss. Contrarus is gone. Shota pinches around a leadoff single. Good pitch. Struck him out on a slider. Biting away. Yeah, really well executed. Sweeping out that outside corner. Yell just trying to get a piece to stay alive. Comes up empty. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. Chota’s settled into a pretty good groove. Strikeout number four. And it comes on the breaking pitch. Much like the one he threw Yellowish, this one stays on the plate. Tan can’t make the adjustment and get the barrel to it. Payoff pitch. Yell has gone on strikes and Ibanaga continues his roll. Yeah, good call Reese Magcguire. Good pitch. Showed Ianaga. Perfectly executed after all those breaking pitches. Slings that fast ball to the outside corner. Fly ball out towards right. Tucker waits on it. Seven strong innings from Shota Imanaga. They face the lefty Shota Imanaga. It hasn’t been our best work so far. Swing and a miss. Schmidt is gone and Iaga registers the strike out and foul tipped into the mid of Meguire. He held it. Struck him out. Swing it a miss and Flores has gone on strikes. Strike out number four for Shota. He’s kind of developed the feel for that strikeout pitch last couple innings. And Shota delivers a sweeper in there. Got him. Cubs taking the field looking for the series victory with Shota Ianaga on the mount. JD, take a look at uh the left-hander. You got a 4.6% walk rate. sixth best in the big leagues. The pitches with at least 100 innings pitched. See, he didn’t walk anybody. Uh fly ball rate is the highest in MLB. It’s in the air quite often. He does give up home runs because of it, but majority of those are solo home runs. And if you’re looking for a swing and miss from SHA, well, that splitter is a go-to pitch for him. Swing and miss. Strike three. Now down on strikes. Good look at the slider here from Shota. Sweeping out away from Lao. Waits out on the front foot. Nothing left. Can’t make contact. Payoff. It’s a called third strike. Ring him up. Sit him down. Looking back in disbelief, but this pitch is right over the heart of the plate and certainly above the knees. Swinging a miss strike three. Jonas strikes out a trio. Comes down by a score of two to nothing. Swinging a miss strike three. One slider. Payoff pitch. He went around strike three. Two swing and a miss. Strike three. Strike out number six for Shona as Morell goes down on strikes. Yeah, racking up the Ks. The uh the Rays have the 10th highest strikeout rate in MLB and a number of guys in their lineup here today are strikeout prone. Swing miss strike three and upstairs struck out Diaz. One, two, three. Half inning for Shony Imanaga. Swing a miss strike three. Ianaga delivers. Swing and a miss. Strike three. Strike out number nine for Shona. And a one, two, three inning here in the top of the fifth. Here’s strikeout number nine.

Shota Imanaga’s best moments with the Chicago Cubs in 2025!

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