Cubs' Shota Imanaga shows off top-notch comedic chops on the Pat McAfee Show

Hot on the heels of being ranked as MLB.com's #1 starting pitcher in the game as May nears its end, Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga was a guest on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show - and, despite a language barrier, it was must-see TV.

Those who cover the team and his teammates have been elated to see how outgoing and personable Imanaga is, despite learning about American culture and all that goes into living outside of Japan for the first time. He's drawn rave reviews since dropping some lines of 'Go, Cubs, Go' in his introductory press conference - and has emerged as a Cy Young front-runner two months into the 2024 campaign.

Shota Imanaga shows why he's the new face of the Chicago Cubs

A national audience got a peek at that lovable personality on Thursday morning. Imanaga dished everything from his success on the mound to Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and bowing to umpires. When asked how he'd pitch to McAfee, though, Imanaga delivered a haymaker.

The entire interview is worth a watch, with Imanaga even hinting he's got more pitches in his arsenal he hasn't even broken out yet. Hopefully, that means he has more in his pocket for when the league inevitably adjusts to his plan of attack.

Another highlight from the appearance was Imanaga talking about his favorite food since moving to Chicago. No, it wasn't Italian beef - and while he enjoys deep dish, it's a bit much for him. For Shota, it's all about the taco scene in the Windy City.

To call Imanaga the steal of the offseason is an all-time understatement. The Cubs have won all but one of his starts this year and he's become can't-miss television every five days. Jed Hoyer was looking for a dependable starter but instead came away with a new face of the franchise.