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On November 27, Japanese ace Shota Imanaga was posted by his NPB team, the Yokohama BayStars. The left-hander will now have thirty teams to firm up an MLB contract.
Under the MLB posting system, teams from the Japanese league can choose to make a player eligible for an MLB deal. A portion of the eventual contract value will then be siphoned back to the NPB team in exchange for the player.
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"The Yokohama BayStars have posted LHP Shota Imanaga, per @kyodo_english. Imanaga, who started and won the 2023 WBC Final, posted a 2.77 ERA in 24 games this season" - Talkin Baseball
Nicknamed the "Throwing Philosopher", Imanaga has been playing with the Yokohama Baystars since 2016. In addition to winning a pair of NPB All-Star nods, the 30-year old also has a no-hitter under his belt. 2023 was one of Imanaga's best showings to date, as he went 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA.
Imanaga is one of several high-profile Japanese stars set on making their MLB debut in 2024. Among them is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who the New York Yankees have pursed with great interest.
Like many pitchers from Japan, Shota Imanaga primarily uses breaking pitches such as a curveball and changeup to knock hitters off their timing. In his seven years with the BayStars, Imanaga has posted 1,021 strikeouts over 1,002 innings, pitching to a 3.18 ERA.
"Shota Imanaga lets it all out after strikeout No. 15." - Jason Coskrey
It is unclear which team Imanaga is bound for. Several analysts have pointed to the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers as potential landing spots. Last year, the Mets inked Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga to a five-year deal. Senga finished the season with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts, earning himself a top-ten finish in NL Cy Young voting.
Shota Imanaga could be a strong consolation prize for a variety of teams
Without a doubt, Shohei Ohtani is the most sought-after free agent on the current market. However, the superstar will not come at a cheap price, a fact that disqualifies a significant number of MLB teams from contention.
With Imanaga, teams have the chance to cash in on a pitcher who has shown his capabilities in Japan, but is unlikely to come with the high price tag of Ohtani or even Yamamoto. Like many of his compatriots before him, Shota Imanaga could turn out to be a league-wide pitching sensation.
