MLB insiders list the nastiest pitch that the Chicago Cubs will have in 2024

Depending upon who you ask, the Chicago Cubs have seen improvement in the pitching department as we head into 2024. While the rotation appears awfully lefty-heavy and the projections don’t anticipate a return to 2023-form from Justin Steele, the bullpen is expected to be significantly better with the recent addition of Hector Neris. 

While Justin Steele’s ability to repeat his performance from 2023, and Jameson Taillon’s ability to bounce back from his dismal first season as a Cub are important, the name getting all of the hype lately has been the Cubs’ big-ticket free agent acquisition, Shota Imanaga. 

He’s already on the projected All-Rookie team for 2024, but recently David Adler broke down the nastiest pitch for every MLB Team and it was Imanaga again getting the hype heading into 2024 with the focus now on his 4-Seam Fastball.

Julian Merryweather’s slider also received some love as an honorable mention so it’s nice to see the bullpen getting recognized as well, but the focus is on Imanaga.

Recently we had a piece breaking down the NL Central’s general inability to hit a split-finger pitch that has a downward movement. 

Ironically, Imanaga’s best pitch does the opposite. The Adler piece referenced above includes a tweet of Imanaga’s 95 MPH rising fastball in a World Baseball Classic game against Korea and I can confirm that the pitch is in fact quite filthy. 

Imanaga has impressed baseball writers, and he’s impressed Justin Steele, now let’s hope he can impress fans as we get into the 2024 season and he can help fly that W flag.

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