Even if he's not the most popular Japanese pitcher on the free agent market this winter, MLB fans will want to check out Shota Imanaga's scouting report. The young lefty doesn't yet have much name recognition. But he has a chance to be something special in the major leagues.
Shota Imanaga scouting report
With Shohei Ohtani in charge of the Dodgers, more attention could be paid to Yoshi Yamamoto, Imanaga and other Japanese pitchers moving up to the major leagues. Since most fans don't know much about him, we've put together a scouting report for Shota Imanaga so fans can get to know him a little better.
Record
Imanaga has been working in Japan since 2016, spending his entire career with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. At 30, he is older than Yamamoto and does not receive the same types of accolades. However, he has been a two-time NFL All-Star, including last season. Imanaga also has a career 3.18 ERA while averaging just over a strikeout per inning. In fact, they were the Central League champion in 2023.
Fans of the World Baseball Classic may remember him from Japan's championship team in 2023. He started the championship game against the United States, allowing one run on four hits over two innings. Imanaga struck out two runs in those two innings but allowed a home run against Trea Turner.
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At just 5'10'', Imanaga doesn't fit the traditional profile of a starter in the majors. Of course, Yamamoto isn't a tall, imposing archer either. Despite not fitting the mold, Imanaga was usually able to pitch at least 140 to 150 innings per year throughout his career. His durability should not be in question any more than any other player his age.
Of course, Imanaga is not a power pitcher as his fastball velocity is around 94 mph. However, the pitch exhibits late action, allowing it to fool hitters, even when it is in the middle of the strike zone. Imanaga also shows good control of his cutter, which he typically uses to keep right-handed hitters off balance.
Against both righties and lefties, Imanaga will unleash his slider, which he likes to use as a throwaway when he's ahead in the count. The southpaw rarely throws his slider to hit, although he gets plenty of swings and misses with it. Conversely, Imanaga's curveball is usually used to advance early in counts. Its curve isn't an elite pitch, but it has enough relief to keep hitters off balance unless they're sitting on it.
Imanaga also has a sinker and a divider in his back pocket. Both are rarely used, especially against left-handed hitters. However, they give Imanaga additional weapons against right-handed hitters. But since he rarely throws it, it can be effective on outfields for Imanaga when he wants to get away from his slider.
MLB projection
Although he does not have elite skills compared to Yamamoto and other front-line starters, Imanaga is considered a quality starter in the major leagues. He throws hard enough and mixes his pitches well enough to keep hitters off balance. It also helps that he can throw up to six pitches, meaning bigger players may be slow to adapt to him.
It is also worth noting that his nickname in Japan is the “Philosopher of Throwing”. Imanaga presents his shows with great intelligence and knows how to arrange his shows better than most. Given the aggressive nature of MLB hitters and their desire for power, Imanaga should fit in favorably compared to Japan's more contact-oriented approach.
Even with a greater emphasis on contact in Japan, Imanaga was able to miss a lot of bats. In the major leagues, he'll be able to keep hitters guessing by mixing up his pitches, all of which he can control. The things that would make him a professional player are probably not there, and Imanaga is still developing at 30 years old. However, he should have a relatively smooth transition to the major leagues and should become a reliable middle-of-the-rotation starter over the next few years.
