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Even when he’s not the best-known Japanese pitcher on the free-agent market this winter, MLB followers will wish to take a look at a Shota Imanaga scouting report. The diminutive lefty doesn’t but have a ton of title recognition. However he has an opportunity to be one thing particular within the large leagues.
Shota Imanaga Scouting Report
With Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers official, extra consideration might be paid to Yoshi Yamamoto, Imanaga, and the opposite Japanese pitchers making the leap to the large leagues. Since most followers don’t know a lot about him, we put collectively a Shota Imanaga scouting report so followers can get to know him a bit of higher.
Observe Document
Imanaga has pitched in Japan since 2016, spending his whole profession with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. At age 30, he’s older than Yamamoto and doesn’t have the identical kinds of accolades. Nonetheless, he’s been an NPB all-star twice, together with this previous season. Imanaga additionally owns a profession 3.18 ERA whereas averaging a bit of greater than a strikeout per inning. In truth, he was the Central League strikeout champ in 2023.
Followers of the World Baseball Basic might keep in mind him from Japan’s championship group in 2023. He began the championship recreation towards the U.S., permitting one run on 4 hits over two innings. Imanaga struck out two in these two innings however did permit a house run towards Trea Turner.
Repertoire
At simply 5’10’’, Imanaga doesn’t match the profile of a standard starter within the majors. In fact, Yamamoto isn’t a tall, imposing pitcher both. Regardless of not becoming the mould, Imanaga has sometimes been capable of throw not less than 140 to 150 innings yearly all through his profession. His sturdiness shouldn’t be any extra of a query than it’s for some other pitcher his age.
Naturally, Imanaga isn’t an overwhelming pitcher together with his fastball topping out round 94 mph. Nonetheless, the pitch exhibits late motion, permitting it to idiot hitters, even when it’s in the course of the strike zone. Imanaga additionally exhibits good management over his cutter, which he sometimes makes use of to maintain right-handed batters off stability.
Towards each righties and lefties, Imanaga will unleash his slider, which he likes to make use of as a put-away pitch when he’s forward within the rely. The southpaw will not often throw his slider for a strike, though he will get lots of swings and misses with it. Quite the opposite, Imanaga’s curveball is normally used to get forward early in counts. His curve isn’t an elite pitch, however he has sufficient break to maintain hitters off-balance until they’re sitting on it.
Imanaga additionally has a sinker and a splitter in his again pocket. Each are not often used, particularly towards left-handed hitters. Nonetheless, they offer Imanaga additional weapons towards right-handed hitters. However since he not often throws them, they are often efficient out-pitches for Imanaga when he needs to steer clear of his slider.
MLB Projection
Whereas he doesn’t have elite stuff in comparison with Yamamoto and different frontline starters, Imanaga tasks as a high quality mid-rotation starter within the large leagues. He throws laborious sufficient and mixes up his pitches properly sufficient to maintain hitters off stability. It additionally helps that he can throw as much as six pitches, which suggests large leaguers could possibly be gradual to regulate to him.
It’s additionally value noting that his nickname in Japan is “The Throwing Thinker.” Imanaga pitches with nice intelligence and is aware of how you can sequence his pitches higher than most. Given the aggressive nature of MLB hitters and their want to hit for energy, Imanaga ought to match up favorably in comparison with the extra contact-oriented method in Japan.
Even with a much bigger emphasis on contact in Japan, Imanaga was capable of miss lots of bats. Within the large leagues, he’ll be capable of preserve hitters guessing by mixing his pitches, all of which he’s capable of management. The stuff to be an ace in all probability isn’t there, neither is Imanaga nonetheless creating at age 30. Nonetheless, he ought to have a comparatively clean transition to the large leagues and will develop into a dependable mid-rotation starter for the following few years.
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