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Shota Imanaga's early life and NPB career

Shota Imanaga's early life, childhood and career in Japan

This is why Shota is called a "Throwing Philosopher."

Shota Imanaga(今永昇太 in kanji) was born on September 1, 1993 in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. His parents are both middle school teachers, and his brother, five years older, is also an elementary school teacher.

His mother, Kyoko, recalled Shota's childhood. She said, "Shota was a hassle-free child, never missing a day of school for 12 years from elementary school to high school. He was also the kind of kid who never cried, whether it was over a vaccination in first grade or a fight between siblings. The first and last time I saw Shota cry was in a game in his junior year of high school, when he shed tears after his team won a game with his own hitting. I think he was a very patient kid."

Shota's baseball career began in elementary school when he started playing softball under the influence of his older brother. At the time, his older brother was in the Einomaru West Softball Club in the fifth grade, and Shota also became a member of the club when he entered elementary school. Shota started out as a right fielder, and regardless of the fact that he threw left-handed, he played a variety of positions, including catcher and shortstop. He had a lot of experience under the flexible ideas of the coach who guided him.

shota play softball in elementary school

Shota played on the baseball team from junior high school. When he entered junior high school, he was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 110 pounds. It was not a junior high school with a strong baseball team. Looking back on those days, Shota said, "The most important motivation for me to continue playing baseball was the feeling that baseball was fun. I have fond memories of us practicing only what we liked."

In the last summer tournament of junior high school, Shota lost in the first round of the district tournament. He was not a fast pitcher, and his pitch speed was a little over 68 MPH. No one who saw Shota in junior high school would have thought he could become a professional baseball player.

Since Shota was physically small and did not have good enough tournament results to be scouted by a strong baseball school, he took the entrance exam to Hokuchiku High School near his home. This high school was a very serious school, and at that time there was a rule that students had to wear school uniforms and school caps to school. Students who did not wear their caps were penalized by not being allowed to participate in club activities. Furthermore, since the school prioritized studying above all else, he had to hurry to change and leave the school after 7:00 p.m. after completing ground maintenance. He needed to practice efficiently and effectively in high school.

Despite this school life, Shota started pitching in games in the fall of his freshman year. During his time at the school, he did not make it to the national tournament in either the spring or summer. In his last summer game, he threw a straight ball with a maximum speed of 89 MPH and struck out 14. Although he was not successful in high school, the glove he still uses today is emblazoned with the words of his respected baseball coach: "Adversity is the time to awaken. Even after becoming a professional baseball player, he has always treasured those words.

Shota was an unknown pitcher nationally as he did not compete in any national tournaments during his high school years. However, when he entered Komazawa University, he started pitching in games in the spring of his freshman year, and by the spring of his sophomore year, he had developed into an ace. He was named best pitcher and best nine in his junior year at the university, and his team also won the championship and MVP. From that time on, he was regarded by scouts as "the number one left-handed pitcher in the university.

However, in his senior year, he broke his left shoulder before the season started and was unable to pitch in any games during the spring season. He returned in the fall, but failed to produce, going 0-3 in six appearances. Nevertheless, he was selected in the first round of the 2015 draft by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.

Shota joined the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2016 and entered the starting rotation from the season opener despite being a rookie. However, he was unable to get much support from the batting lineup and was unable to get a win. His first start came on March 29, when he allowed four runs in seven innings, striking out nine, but the team lost.

In his second start, he allowed only one run and three hits in seven innings, but the team lost the game after scoring zero runs on nine hits. In his third start, he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings, striking out eight, but his team took the loss. In his fourth start, he allowed one run in seven innings, but his teammates scored only one run on a home run and the game was tied. In his fifth start, he allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 14, but his team still lost the game.

Despite these good performances without being knocked out, Shota had a winless streak of 0 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw since the start of the season. However, his humble attitude in interviews was well received by many fans. He said, "The name of the losing pitcher will not go down in history. I pitched 1-0 and lost, that's all (interview for the second loss)." "No support from the batting line is something a pitcher with a zero defense rate would say (interview for the third loss)."

In addition, he said, "I made the same mistakes as last time and my pitching was at a low level. (interview at the time of the tie)" "A pitcher who can win is better than a pitcher who can get strikeouts. If a pitcher is giving up hits to batters at the critical situation, the number of strikeouts cannot be evaluated. (interview after the 4th loss)" and so on. His comments were so out of character for a rookie that he was nicknamed "The Throwing Philosopher" by fans.

Shota finally won a game on May 6, his sixth start. He did not allow a run until the seventh inning, when his team scored six runs and finally won for the first time in his professional career, 6-0. At that time, he said, "I beat my past self rather than the Hiroshima Carp (the opposing team). In a game that was suspended for more than an hour due to rain, he said, "It is a low-level, childish way of thinking to say it is OK to lose because of the rain. Thinking about what to do about it will raise my rank as a pitcher." He said in an interview after the victory.

Shota started 2017 in the starting rotation as well, earning his first professional complete game win on April 19 and his first double-digit win in a game on August 17. His team advanced to the playoffs and he pitched in the second game, pitching three innings and allowing three runs. In Game 4, he came on in the 7th inning with a one-run lead and pitched two scoreless innings.

In the Japan Series against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, he started Game 2 and struck out 10, but his team lost by one run. Four wins would decide the winner of the Japan Series, but his team lost Game 3 as well, suffering three straight losses from the first game. Before Game 4, which his team could no longer afford to lose, he said, "Close your eyes, all of you! We are on a cliff, but it's not a cliff. We are birds, we are going to be birds," he said to inspire the team. His team won games 4 and 5, snapping a three-game losing streak to win two in a row. In game 6, Shota took the mound and pitched 7 innings, striking out 11 and allowing only 1 run, but the game went into extra innings and the team lost by a score. As a result, his team lost the Japan Series title with a 4-2 record.

In 2018, Shota opened the season on the farm with left shoulder discomfort. He also slumped to 3-10 with a 7.10 ERA(earned run average) in 16 starts, and was temporarily converted to a relief pitcher. In a turnaround, he was named the opening day pitcher for the first time in 2019, where he went 13-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 25 starts. He was named the opening day pitcher again in 2020, leading the team as the ace. But he left the team in August with left shoulder discomfort. In 2021 he was 5-5 in 19 starts, but pitched 120 innings and had a 3.08 ERA.

Shota had a good year in 2022, going 11-4 with a 2.26 ERA in 21 starts. He also achieved a no-hit, no-run game against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters on June 7. In a post-game interview, Shota said, "I didn't think I could do it. I am a nobody, just a pitcher, and the fans helped me achieve this kind of result." He added, "It was a tense game. Rather than a no-hit, no-run game, I think it was my desire to win that made me selfless."

In 2023, Shota was selected for the Japanese WBC team and pitched well against Korea and Italy. In the finals against the United States, he took the starting mound saying, "I want to pitch in a way that when I finish my baseball career, this mound will be the first thing I remember. In that game, he gave up a home run to Trea Turner, but pitched two innings and allowed only one run to win the game.

On the season, he reached 1,000 strikeouts in a game on September 13, going 7-4 with 174 strikeouts in 22 starts. He also won his first pitching title, the most strikeouts. On November 11, after the season ended, he announced his intention to challenge for a MLB contract through the posting system.

Shota has decided to sign and move to the Chicago Cubs on January 12, 2024. At a press conference in Japan, he said, "When I think back on my eight years with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, it was not a smooth sailing baseball career. I would like to thank the fans for not giving up on me and supporting me even in bad times. I will do my best in MLB so that I can make everyone happy, including those who have been involved in my development in baseball and the fans who have supported me!"

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