Baseball’s opening day is a spectacle of power, precision, and the occasional shattered bat. But while most players were focused on fastballs and stat sheets, one lefty decided to steal the show with something rare—pure, unfiltered kindness. Enter Cubs’ ace Shota Imanaga. He has already proved his game-winning ability with his pitching brilliance. On opening day, he added to his legacy by winning hearts and giving away his warmup pitching ball to a young fan.
Before taking the mound and dominating it at Tokyo Dome, Shota Imanaga was seen handing something over to a fan in the crowd. It was his warmup ball and the look on the fan’s face says what it means to him.
While the fan was asking for an autograph, Imanaga felt he could do a little more to make the kid happy and so, decided to give a souvenir from the game itself. But this is not the first time he has done things that have won hearts.
Shōta Imanaga gave his warm up ball to a young fan before taking the mound on Opening Day. #TokyoSeries pic.twitter.com/J8PDXFAjv3
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) March 18, 2025
In April 2024, Imanaga saw a group of fans with his name spelled on their chests. He felt a little bit concerned and collaborated with Obvious Shirts to make custom tees and hand-deliver them to the fans. In the same year, he signed a cup for a fan named Sam Bernero who usually captures moments of Cubs players arriving at the Wrigley Field.
Shota Imanaga isn’t just throwing strikes—he’s pitching goodwill, one heartfelt gesture at a time. While some players chase records, he’s out here stacking moments that fans will cherish forever. And if this is how he starts his MLB 2025 season, Cubs fans might need a bigger scrapbook.
Shota Imanaga shows his ace abilities on opening day against the Dodgers
Big moments demand big-game pitchers, and the Chicago Cubs have found one in Shota Imanaga. Under the bright lights of Tokyo, against a powerhouse Dodgers lineup, he didn’t just take the mound—he owned it. While some wilt under pressure, Imanaga calmly delivered, proving that his arm is as electric as the hype surrounding it.
Imanaga showed up on opening day against the Dodgers. Their hometown favorite was on another level as he had 4 hitless innings and walked 4 players. He also had 2 strikeouts with an ERA of 0.00. If this doesn’t impress you, what will?
Sadly, the Cubs went downhill the moment they took him off the mound.
After Imanaga was taken off, the Cubs gave away 7 hits, and 4 walks and earned 3 runs. Their offense also decided not to show up after the 2nd inning as they got no hits after that run came in. This game was a walk in the park for the Dodgers with the Cubs not giving their best in Game 1. With less than 24 hrs for game 2, the Cubs need to figure out how to resolve this. Meanwhile, Craig Counsell will be thinking, did he make a mistake by taking out Imanaga after the 4th inning?
If Game 1 proved anything, it’s that Shota Imanaga was the Cubs’ best shot at survival. But instead of riding the hot hand, they handed the game to the Dodgers on a silver platter. Now, with Game 2 looming, the Cubs have a choice—fix their mistakes or keep making LA’s job easy.
Would you like to chime in with your predictions for Game 2? Don’t hesitate to share!
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