Steady demeanor a key to Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga's All-Star berth

Hayden Wesneski had just pitched one of the best games of his career, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the Cubs’ 5-0 win Sunday over the Angels. When he was asked about his own outing, Wesneski was matter of fact and more concerned with helping the Cubs get a needed victory than what he did personally.

When he was asked about Shota Imanaga, Wesneski gushed.

“Man, he’s something else. He’s a great person,” Wesneski said. “You wouldn’t know if he had a good day or bad day. It just seems like every day is a good day for him. I don’t mean that as pitching; I mean that as a person.”

Because of Imanaga’s good days as a pitcher, he was named a National League All-Star on Sunday.

In his first season in the United States, Imanaga has quickly acclimated to taking on big-league hitters. He won his first five starts and didn’t allow an earned run over his first 18 1/3 innings. At 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA, Imanaga figures to be a strong contender for the N.L. Rookie of the Year and is one of the main reasons the disappointing Cubs still have an outside shot at making the playoffs.

He’s also become an important part of the Cubs’ clubhouse culture and adapted well to life in the major leagues.

“That’s one thing I’ve never really been through in a sense, coming over to a new team, a new country,” first baseman Michael Busch said. “Not his first language, but he’s done a really good job at trying and accepting that. He’s fit in right away. He’s been one of those players, guys that we looked to right away.”

Over a long season, a consistent personality is crucial. That’s true in Japan where Imanaga began his career, and true in the United States.

“Just the same guy every day, which is a really good thing,” Busch said. “The way he handles himself on and off the field is going to be a role model for a long time.”

While Imanaga’s rookie season has been mostly successful, there have been hiccups.

On May 29, the Brewers battered Imanaga with seven runs and two homers in 4 1/3 innings. And on June 21, the Mets pummeled Imanaga, scoring 10 runs and hitting three home runs off him in just three innings.

There are also lingering questions about how well his arsenal will fare long-term against big-league hitters. A fly-ball pitcher, Imanaga is getting grounders only 34.7% of the time and opponents are barreling pitches at a 9.8% clip with a hard-hit percentage of 39.2.

Yet Imanaga has succeeded so far thanks to a four-seam fastball that averages just 91.8 mph but is in the 90th percentile of spin rate, and a split-finger pitch that’s rare for a left-hander. Imanaga’s also avoided walks, handing out 15 in 91 innings.

“He’s got a great attitude every single day,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s a learner. He wants to get better, he’s curious. All of those things keep him moving forward, get him past tough moments. He wants more and he always tries to do a little better and do a little more and get better at the next thing.

“Those are just signs of great players, and he’s very deserving of the [All-Star] recognition.”

Imanaga thinks his teammates deserve credit for how they’ve helped him.

“I’m very thankful for everybody in the clubhouse, the support staff, everyone,” Imanaga said through a translator. “Watching the other players, I’ve mimicked what they’re doing going about their day and the support from them, that’s helped a lot.”