CHC · P

Shota Imanaga

Age 33 B/T L/L 5′10″, 175 lb Japan MLB debut 2024

40-man

Free agent est. 2 yr × $9.7M ($4M–$19M) · +0.6 wins to Pittsburgh’s Winter Plan as rotation depth

Keystone Stuff 96 32nd pct

2026 fWAR 1.8

Projected 2027 WAR 1.3 Keystone Marcel+ at 171 IP

Pitching · 2026 percentiles

vs. MLB pitchers with 500+ pitches · 2,810 pitches

Keystone Stuff 96

Keystone Location 111

Keystone Pitching 103

Run value (xRV) +0.07

Strikeout % 24.6%

Walk % 5.2%

Whiff % 30.0%

Chase % 35.4%

Fastball velo 91.4

Extension 6.2 ft

174.1 IP3.77 ERA4.47 FIP 38° arm

Arsenal & Pitch Lab

Movement normalized to arm side · Keystone Stuff by pitch

LHP · arm angle 38° · how to read

Pitch	Use	Velo	IVB	HB	Stuff	Loc	Whiff	xRV/100
Four-seam40% use	40%	91.6	17.7	+11.2	101	107	20%	−0.19
Splitter35% use	35%	82.8	5.7	+11.6	92	111	41%	+1.23
Sweeper15% use	15%	81.0	−0.3	−14.0	104	98	30%	−1.34
Sinker6% use	6%	90.2	9.8	+16.3	86	94	17%	−1.31
Curveball3% use	3%	74.4	−13.2	−8.8	92	99	16%	−0.51

No mix change or new pitch clears its bar. The arsenal is efficient for its shapes.

Most similar pitchers

Pitches like Imanaga: same hand, shape, slot and mix

Similarity	Player	Stuff	’26 WAR	’27 proj	2027
50	Ian Seymour TB · ’98	96	1.5	1.1	Pre-arb
47	Andrew Abbott CIN · ’99	100	1.4	2.0	Arb
44	Jeffrey Springs ATH · ’92	96	−0.4	0.3	Free agent
42	Parker Messick CLE · ’00	96	4.9	3.9	Pre-arb
42	Jake Bennett BOS · ’00	95	2.3	2.1	Pre-arb

Same-handed pitchers nearest on fastball velocity and shape, arm angle, extension, pitch mix, secondary shapes, Stuff, whiff rate and workload. 2026 regulars only.

Pitch locations · 2026

Where each pitch finishes, by batter side

Splitter 41%

35% zone

Four-seam 41%

45% zone

Sweeper 8%

42% zone

Sinker 4%

49% zone

Curveball 4%

49% zone

Where each pitch finishes, catcher’s view. The bar marks the batter’s side; the box is an average strike zone. Pitches with 40+ thrown to this side.

Contract & projection

Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR

2027 1.3 WAR Free agent

2028 0.8 WAR Free agent

2029 0.4 WAR Free agent

2030 0.0 WAR Free agent

A pending free agent: no club controls his 2027. Contract Studio →

Minor leagues

MLB Stats API · public box-score data

SeasonLevel	Level	Team	Age	G	PA / IP	PA / IP ·Line
2025AAA	AAA	Iowa Cubs	31	1	4.1 IP	4.1 IP · 0.00 ERA · 47.1% K · 11.8% BB
2025ROK	ROK	ACL Cubs	31	2	6 IP	6 IP · 0.00 ERA · 40.0% K · 0.0% BB