MESA, Ariz. – Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga is acutely aware of the lineage he’s stepping into. With him set to be the Cubs’ Game 1 starter in the Tokyo Series, opposite Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it will be the first time in MLB history that two Japanese-born starting pitchers face off on Opening Day in Japan.
“I’m very honored,” Imanaga said Wednesday through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “I have to say, though, that the reason that the Japanese players are getting a lot of attention is because of all the players in the past that came before us, who created this path for all the Japanese players.