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3. Shota Imanaga
In his first Major League Spring Training, southpaw Shota Imanaga didn't light up the stat sheet across the board. The 5.68 ERA is not pretty to look at, but Imanaga's high strikeout percentage was a sight to see as he K'd 25 batters in just 12.2 innings pitched. There were only four other pitchers who compiled more strikeouts than Imanaga this Spring Training, and it would be extremely valuable for the Cubs if he can transfer this K rate into the regular season.
In recent years, the Cubs have relied on starters who induce a lot of ground balls, like Kyle Hendricks, Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly etc. Given the Cubs currently have four gold glovers set to start on Opening Day, you can get away with letting your defense do a lot of work for you. But a high strikeout pitcher like Imanaga would complement the rest of the rotation nicely and give opposing lineups a very different look from the mound.
Imanaga will be taking the mound in the Cubs' home opener against the Colorado Rockies on Monday so hopefully he can immediately start showing fans why he chose to play in Chicago.