\u201cLook, he\u2019s pitching at a really high level right now,\u201d Craig Counsell said after the game. <\/a>\u201cBut again, he has done this. He has pitched like this. So, this is not something he hasn\u2019t done. So, it\u2019s not above what he\u2019s capable of. It\u2019s sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n He’s right. Cubs fans – and sports fans, in general – have a short memory. So coming into 2026, all they associated with Imanaga was the fact Counsell trusted him so little<\/a> that, with the season on the line in a do-or-die NLDS Game 5, Chicago went with a bullpen game rather than hand the ball to their southpaw.<\/p>\n Shota Imanaga’s brilliance has changed Cubs’ rotation perception<\/p>\n But two years ago, Imanaga burst onto the MLB scene in a big way, earning an All-Star selection and finishing top-5 in both NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year voting. Last season was a different story, with a hamstring injury eating up a good chunk of the summer and his effectiveness severely hampered even after he returned, but after returning to Chicago via the qualifying offer this winter, he’s filling a void at the top of the rotation – and could end up being the deciding factor in how this campaign plays out.<\/p>\n Rumors continue to swirl around the possibility of the Cubs bringing in Lucas Giolito, but with the team getting quality from spot starters Colin Rea and Javier Assad and Imanaga pitching like an ace, the sense of dire urgency that prevailed just a couple of weeks ago has calmed. A deal might still make sense, but only on Chicago’s terms. <\/p>\n If the playoffs started today, Imanaga is, hands down, your Game 1 starter. He’s rewarded the Cubs’ faith in him in spades here in April and, if it’s a sign of things to come<\/a>, the loss of Horton – while still significant – might not be the death blow it felt like in the not-too-distant past.<\/p>\n
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