As expected, the Yokohama Bay Stars posted lefty Shota Imanaga Monday morning, and he quickly became one of the best free agents available. However, some of you may be unfamiliar with the Japanese lefty. So, let's take a look at who Imanaga is, and how he can help the Braves.
Who is Shota Imanaga
Imanaga is an eight-year veteran of the NPB, splitting time between the Baystars and their affiliate of the same name in the JPEL. He isn’t a top-of-the-rotation arm like Yamamoto; he’s more of a pitchability lefty who attacks batters with strikes all around the zone using a four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, curve, cutter/slider, and splitter.
Since 2021, Imanaga’s thrown 411 1/3 innings in 62 starts in the JPCL, striking out 416 (25.5%), walking 79 (4.8%) – eight intentional - while pitching to a 2.69 ERA, 1.006 WHIP.
In 2023, he pitched to a 2.80 ERA, 1.054 WHIP, striking out 174 and walking 24 in 148 IP over 22 starts. I understand that JPCL statistics don't directly translate to MLB, so I offer a comparison with someone you may remember. Trevor Bauer.
Bauer also pitched for Yokohama this season. He pitched to a 2.76 ERA, 3.03 RA/G, 1.148 WHIP, striking out 130 and walking 31 in 130 2/3 IP over 19 starts.
Why The Atlanta Braves Should Be Interested
Brandon Tew of Sports Info Solutions analyzed Imanaga's 2022 no-hitter, calling him fearless. He threw 117 pitches, 77 for strikes, slicing and dicing the zone with everything in his arsenal, allowing only four hard hit balls, and inducing 20 WHIFFS
MLBTR’s Dai Takegami Podziewski described it in a September post.
"… his combination of his command and strikeout stuff allows him to rack up strikeouts."
Lefties to average 93.5 mph on their fastball with 20+ inches of induced vertical break (IVB) in the Hawkeye era:
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) March 22, 2023
• None
Shota Imanaga, tonight:
• 93.5 mph
• 20.5" IVB
Thats an outlier fastball for sure, and MLB teams are certainly drooling over it now👀 pic.twitter.com/oJ1eG6y2s8
Imanaga offers a different look to the Atlanta Braves rotation. Coming in behind the raw power of Strider and Fried, he’ll resemble a left-handed Charlie Morton with more devastating break of his pitches and pinpoint control.
Unlike free agents carrying a qualifying offer, the Braves wouldn’t lose draft picks or international signing pool money. MLBTR projects Imanaga to get roughly five years at $85M, that’s a $17.5M AAV. They would have to pay a posting fee of $13.8M to Yokohama, but that doesn’t count against CBT payroll.
That’s a Wrap
The Atlanta Braves need at least one more starter. Morton’s older, Elder will regress, and Fried’s blister issue could pop up at any time (no pun intended, but it works.) As I wrote a few days ago, the prospects may give us some help along the way but aren’t ready to give the Braves 180 innings this year.
Adding Imanaga gives us a built-in replacement when Morton retires and helps fill the void until the prospects make the jump. He’s pitched on the big stage in championship games for Yokohama, Japan’s national team. There’ll be competition for him, but the Braves offer him a chance to join a perennial championship team and make it to postseason play in 2024. Not everyone can say that.