Shota Imanaga will make Chicago Cubs history when he makes his MLB debut

The Chicago Cubs are staking the success of their starting rotation on left-hander Shota Imanaga making a clean transition from Japan to Major League Baseball. After showcasing the ability to rack up strikeouts this spring, Imanaga will make his big-league debut on Apr. 1, the team's home opener at Wrigley Field.

In doing so, he'll make history in multiple ways. He'll become the first Cubs player to make his debut as the starting pitcher in a home opener since Jon Lester back in 2015 when the Wrigley Field renovation project was still unfinished and the outfield bleachers were fan-less, covered with advertising and legends of yesteryear.

Chicago Cubs love what they see from Shota Imanaga as he prepares to make history in his Wrigley Field debut

Even more significant, though, is the fact that Imanaga will become the first Cubs player to make his MLB debut as the starting pitcher at the Friendly Confines. That's pretty wild when you think about how long this franchise has been around and the number of pitchers that have donned the pinstripes in that century-plus.

“His opening press conference was kind of a preview of what we were going to get,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com. “He's curious. I think that's a good way to describe him. He asks me questions, for sure. After the games that he's pitched, he's asked interesting questions. He's made adjustments really fast.”

Another Japanese pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, overshadowed Imanaga, 30, making the jump to the United States this winter. He also came with a dramatically larger price tag. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed the 25-year-old right-hander to a record-setting 12-year, $325 million contract, while the Cubs wound up landing Imanaga on a four-year, $53 million pact.

The big question is whether or not Imanaga can keep the ball in the yard, especially this summer when the ball tends to fly out of the ballpark on the North Side. The Cubs are working with him to tweak how he attacks hitters, especially with his fastball, which should hopefully help aid in that effort.

This spring, Imanaga made three starts, pushing 18 strikeouts per nine while working to a 4.66 ERA. That swing-and-miss stuff is something the Cubs have lacked of late, so he should bring a very fresh look to this starting rotation in 2024.