Outlook Shota Imanaga
Imanaga Looks to Right the Ship in Coors Field Matchup
Imanaga slots in as the staff anchor for the fourth-place Cubs, who sit at 34-32 in the NL Central. Lately, he has hit a rough patch, posting a 9.00 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his last seven days. Despite these recent struggles, he remains the top option in a rotation currently missing key injured pieces like Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele.
The brutal 8.94 ERA over his last 30 days is a far cry from his career 3.39 ERA and our season projection of a 3.73 ERA. However, his strong 1.09 WHIP and superb 74:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 75.3 innings this year indicate that major positive regression is coming. Don't panic, as his elite command remains intact.
He is scheduled for one start this week on June 10 on the road against the Rockies. While Coors Field is daunting, the matchup is highly favorable as he opposes Michael Lorenzen and his bloated 8.33 ERA. Our weekly model projects a tidy 0.89 WHIP for the week, making him a mandatory option. Verdict: Start.
Updated 2 days ago
