MESA, Ariz. – When Shota Imanaga takes the Tokyo Dome mound next month, as the Cubs open the season with a two-game series against the Dodgers, there will be fans in the stands who watched his rise in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Eight years with the Yokohama DeNa Baystars preceded his impressive rookie major-league season – when his success, expressive face, and sense of humor made him a fast fan-favorite in Chicago.
But Imanaga, ever-humble, knows who most fans will be there to see.
“Shohei Ohtani and [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto, I think they’re going to have a lot bigger cheers,” Imanaga said of the Dodgers stars, through interpreter Edwin Stanberry.