Cubs Week In Review: Cubs' Ace Shota Imanaga Earns Second Team All-MLB Honors

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When the holiday season hits, we're reminded that despite our longing for more, we're actually pretty lucky with what we've got. This past week provided an example or two of that, though fans won't be distracted from the possible feasts ahead.

Image courtesy of © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Though it's increasingly difficult to comprehend with each passing season, The Friendly Confines once served as home of the Chicago Bears, who just renewed their historic rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. Maybe that's why it feels (odd, yet) familiar to see two of the Big Ten's most storied programs, Northwestern and Ohio State, clash in a football game on its grounds. Is a Hail Mary still considered a fly ball?

On the mound, one newcomer answered the Cubs' prayers in 2024. Shota Imanaga is one of the best pitchers in professional baseball, and this past week, amid the bright lights of Vegas, he was rewarded for it. The man who truly knows what it's like to be "Mike" was named to the Second Team All-MLB squad, as announced by comedian and Chicago-native Roy Wood Jr. He seemed as giddy as the rest of us that the breakout hurler works on the North Side. 

For the first two months of the season, there was no better pitcher in baseball than Imanaga. Although Pittsburgh Pirates rookie ace Paul Skenes splashed onto the scene and (along with his girlfriend) absconded with the rookie hurler spotlight. Imanaga was magnificent in his freshman campaign: Over 29 starts, he turned in a record of 15-3. He pitched 173 1/3 innings, struck out 174 batters, and had a very low walk rate of 4%. Unlike teammate and fellow starter Javier Assad, Imanaga rarely had to work his way out of trouble, often looking dominant and borderline unhittable. A few mid-season flops raised his ERA to 2.91 and effectively took his name out of the Cy Young race, but Imanaga's value to this club remained immeasurable. 

We should demand more success from the Chicago Cubs. They continue to evince a gun-shy approach to loading the team up with intimidating talent through trade and free agency. With that said, however, Imanaga provided some great memories this season, and some evidence that we are closer to ecstasy than misery.

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