The Chicago Cubs missed the postseason for the fourth straight season after finishing with a record of 83-79 and coming in second place in the National League Central.
Although the Cubs missed the postseason, they had their second straight winning season, and they have something to build off of for the 2025 season.
The offseason saw the Cubs make a major acquisition as they traded for star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.
While Tucker will likely help the Cubs’ offense be more productive, the Cubs hope to get another great season from their starting pitcher, Shota Imanaga.
Imanaga had a big season in his rookie year with the Cubs in 2024, and Fangraphs projects him to have another big season in 2025.
According to MLB on ‘X,’ Fangraphs projects Imanaga to pitch 172 innings with 174 strikeouts, 4.58 K/BB ratio, 3.57 ERA, and 1.14 WHIP.
Will Shota Imanaga have a stellar sophomore season with the @Cubs? pic.twitter.com/Z842YbeBVf
— MLB (@MLB) February 14, 2025
Imanaga is a 31-year-old starting pitcher who pitched his rookie season in the MLB with the Cubs in 2024 after coming over from Japan.
In his rookie season, Imanaga started 29 games where he held a record of 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 173.1 innings pitched.
Fangraphs projects Imanaga to have similar numbers to his 2024 campaign, with a slight increase in his ERA.
The Cubs hope Imanaga can build off of his stellar rookie campaign and help the Cubs get back into the postseason for the first time since the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
Imanaga will be a player to watch this season to see how the rest of the MLB adjusts after seeing him for the first time in 2024.
NEXT: Cubs Manager Has Honest Admission About Brewers