MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs confirmed the obvious with Tuesday’s announcement that Shota Imanaga will be their Opening Day starter in Japan, setting up a marquee matchup against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers in his homeland.
“It was kind of a no-brainer,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
On the first day of spring training, Counsell sort of joked it’s “mandated” by Major League Baseball that Imanaga pitches during the Tokyo Series (March 18-19): “I don’t think I have a choice, actually,” he quipped.
Home is where the Sho is. pic.twitter.com/JeceHu6NEH
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 18, 2025
Imanaga is coming off a dazzling rookie season that saw him pitch in the All-Star Game and get votes in the National League Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards balloting. The Cubs — an 83-win team last year — went 23-6 in Imanaga’s starts.
“If he could do the same thing, that would be great,” Counsell said. “He’s passed and excelled at really every challenge that’s been put in front of him. That’s what he did last year. The nature of competitive sports is: You got to go do it again. He looks forward to that.”
At this stage, Cubs left-hander Justin Steele is projected to start the second game of the season at the Tokyo Dome. If Roki Sasaki acclimates well to his first major-league camp, the Japanese phenom could start Game 2 for the Dodgers.
Imanaga helped Japan beat Team USA in the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Imanaga’s teammates during that event included current Dodgers players Yamamoto, Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani.
An Imanaga versus Yamamoto showdown will encapsulate the Cubs’ considerable efforts to build their brand in Japan, as well as the Dodgers’ global takeover as MLB’s premier franchise.
“The worldwide fan interest is going to be off the charts,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “(Dodgers manager) Dave Roberts and I were talking about that the other night. This is great for the game. What’s better than having those guys face off in Game 1 with Shohei and Seiya (Suzuki) in the lineup? It’s awesome.”
(Photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
