"Completely fearless" - Jameson Taillon reveals 2 biggest lessons he learned from Shota Imanaga

Having joined the Chicago Cubs in January 2024, Shota Imanaga quickly established himself as an important part of the starting rotation, and a fan favorite at Wrigley Field in the process.

On Saturday's edition of the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast, fellow Cubs starter Jameson Taillon shared the two big things he has learned from Imanaga in the time the pair have spent together so far.

"I think with Shota, I've learned two things," Taillon said. (28:26) "His ability to just collaborate with the PTs, the strength coaches, the pitching coaces, the catchers and his translator, Edwin, he's very open to ideas, and he brings a lot of ideas. I like watching him just interact with people, and the respect he has for everyone and what they bring to the table. Also, just watching Shota pitch, [he's] just completely fearless.

"When he's at his best, he's just absolutely filling up the zone with fastballs at the top. It's like a very simple recipe, like [when] he's at his best, it's like 'I'm ripping my best fastball right through the zone, I'm throwing my splitter off that, and when I need to get you off-balance a little bit, I'll throw my sweeper'. He just comes right at you. Especially in '24, when he was really on fire, that [fearless] attitude just kept building and building."

---

"We like Shota Imanaga a lot" - Cubs GM speaks after southpaw accepts qualifying offer to stay at Wrigley Field

Earlier in November, it was announced that Shota Imanaga was set to enter free agency after two solid seasons with the Cubs, joining outfielder Kyle Tucker on the open market.

In an effort to keep hold of two of their most influential players, the Cubs extended qualifying offers to both. While Tucker promptly rejected, Imanaga decided to accept the $22.025 million offer to continue at Wrigley Field in 2026.

Soon after Shota Imanaga announced his decision, Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins spoke to insider Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, describing the decision of keeping hold of the southpaw as a "no brainer".

"It felt like a no-brainer for us. We like Shota a lot. Obviously, we enjoy having him. I know it was a complicated contract structure," Hawkins said.

Shota Imanaga in action for the Chicago Cubs - Source: Getty

After Imanaga missed a sizeable chunk of the 2025 season due to a hamstring injury, Cubs fans will hope the 32-year-old manages to stay healthy for the entirety of 2026.