Comparing Shota Imanaga's season to other Chicago Cubs rookies

Shota Imanaga has been a welcome presence in the Chicago Cubs' rotation this season, leading the team with 78 strikeouts, and seven wins. His team-leading 1.89 ERA is only behind Ranger Suárez's 1.77 for the MLB lead. If Imanaga keeps up the pace, he will be a frontrunner for both the NL Rookie of the Year and a Cy Young Award. Imanaga's season also stacks up well against other Cubs pitchers who enjoyed strong rookie seasons.

Burt Hooton (1972)

Burt Hooton had a cup of coffee with the Cubs in 1971, throwing two complete games in September, but 1972 was his true rookie season. That year, Hooton pitched 218.1 innings with an ERA of 2.80, along with 132 strikeouts and 5.0 WAR. His unimpressive 11-14 win/loss rate likely hurt his chances in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Hooton pitched a few solid seasons with the Cubs before moving to the Dodgers during the 1975 season. He was a workhorse pitcher for the Dodgers and a key part of their 1981 championship run, winning NLCS MVP and leading the Dodgers to victory in the deciding Game 6 of that year's World Series.

Rick Reuschel (1972)

Along with Burt Hooton, The 1972 Chicago Cubs had another solid rookie starter in Rick Reuschel. Although Reuschel only threw 129 innings due to being called up in June, he pitched to an ERA of 2.93 with four shutouts, leading Cubs starters with a 3.0 strikeout/walk ratio. Reuschel would go on to have eight consecutive seasons of 200 or more innings pitched with the Cubs before becoming a journeyman in the second half of his career. Reuschel is second all-time among Cubs pitchers with 48.3 WAR and 343 games started. The only pitcher ahead of him in both categories is Fergie Jenkins, who has 53 WAR and 347 games started for the Cubs.

Dennis Lamp (1978)

After a brief stint in 1977, Dennis Lamp had a strong start with the Cubs in 1978, pitching to a 3.30 ERA over 223.2 innings and 4.0 WAR. His unimpressive 7-15 win/loss record was mostly due to the fact that the Cubs gave him very little run support that year. Lamp had a solid 1979 season as well before a poor 1980 season prompted the Cubs to trade him to the White Sox. Lamp would go on to have a solid but unremarkable career, finishing with a 96-96 win/loss record and a career 3.93 ERA, good for a slightly above average 104 ERA+.

Kerry Wood (1998)

One of the most famous aspects of Wood's rookie year was his 20-strikeout game against the Houston Astros where he became the second pitcher in Major League history to strike out their age in a game, joining Bob Feller, who struck out 17 batters as a 17-year-old in 1936. Although Wood was off to a rocky start in 1998, after his 20-strikeout game, he finished the season strong, putting up an ERA of 3.40 along with 233 strikeouts in 166.2 innings pitched. Wood won the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year award, beating out Todd Helton. Although Tommy John surgery sidelined Wood for the 1999 season, he returned the next year and was once again a dominant starter between 2001 and 2003. Injuries took a toll on Wood's career and he was never the same pitcher after 2004. He had a solid season as the Cubs' closer in 2008 before moving to Cleveland as their closer in 2009. After a brief stint with the Yankees, Wood returned to Chicago in 2011 to close out his career.