The gesture that Shōta Imanaga makes captures the hearts of fans even more originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Shōta Imanaga has quickly become a fan favorite on the north side.
Is it his devastating fastball? His crushing split finger? Imanaga has a 1.08 ERA this season in seven starts. Of course, his production on the field creates an easy path for Cubs fans to love him.
But I’d say his pitch, along with his incredible sense of humor and humility, is what draws fans to the newcomer. Imanaga, after receiving a new ball after one comes into play, bows to the home plate umpire for granting him a new one.
This is so awesome and I’ve never seen it while watching TV: After every ball that’s put into play, Shōta bows to the home plate umpire as he receives a new baseball. I love this boy so much. #ShōtaImanaga pic.twitter.com/BZeKpbrWQn
— OBVIOUS T-SHIRTS (@obvious_shirts) May 8, 2024
Imanaga is quite a character. He is incredibly respectful and has no problem sharing his awesomeness with his new country.
Whether the ability to turn right during red lights, see the spider man set In real life before a start, or talking to Yu Darvish about pitching before a game, Imanaga is a fun character to follow.
As mentioned above, his rookie season is off to a sensational start. During his last start On Tuesday, Imanaga pitched seven innings, allowing just two runs and striking out eight batters in 102 pitches.
With a 1.08 ERA in seven career MLB starts, he joins the rare Cubs starters who have pitched below a 1.15 ERA in any seven-game stretch of their careers. Jake Arrieta (2015), Warren Hacker (1952) and Grover Alexander (1920) are the only three to eclipse that mark in that time period in Cubs history.
