Shota Imanaga’s reaction to pitching in NY for first time with Cubs will leave Marvel fans in tears

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has had a great start in his first season in MLB, and after throwing seven shutout innings against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday in a 1-0 win, he had a hilarious response when asked what it was like pitching in New York for the first time, comparing it to what he has seen in the Spider-man movies.

“Well, I recognized the hotel view from Spider-man,” Shota Imanaga said, according to Taylor McGregor.

Imanaga’s big league career could not have gotten off to a better start, as he has hit the ground running and is fitting in great personality-wise with the Cubs. He has started six games for the Cubs so far this season, and he has given up just three runs in those games, good for a 0.78 ERA, according to MLB.com.

This offseason, Imanaga was one of the more intriguing names on the starting pitching market. The headliner was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a massive deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and other veterans like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery were available as well. But Imanaga was the other starter coming over from Japan this offseason, and he is older in comparison to Yamamoto, but he was still seen as one of the better pitchers available this winter.

Imanaga’s contract is an interesting one, as he signed what was a four-year, $53 million deal with the Cubs, but there are many layers to the contract. Imanaga has that $53 million guaranteed, and this year and 2025, he is locked in with the team, according to Spotrac. After the 2025 season, Imanaga and the Cubs have mutual options for both 2026 and 2027. If Imanaga continues to pitch to this level, he will likely opt out after two years to try to get a bigger deal, and if he starts to struggle, the Cubs can cut ties. If the two sides both exercise their options in 2026 and 2027, there is a club option for 2028 as well.

Shota Imanaga hoping to help Cubs take the next step