Yu Darvish seemed poised to start the World Baseball Classic final for Japan, but manager Hideki Kuriyama surprised many Monday night by announcing Shota Imanaga will get the pivotal start against Team USA.
While Darvish should be available for multiple innings out of the bullpen, a great deal of responsibility will fall on Imanaga's shoulders against a loaded USA lineup.
Major-league hitters in Team USA's lineup are familiar with Darvish and Shohei Ohtani, who could also make an appearance out of the bullpen, but Imanaga has never pitched in the majors is more of an unknown commodity.
MORE: Will Shohei Ohtani pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic final vs. USA?
Here's what you need to know about Imanaga as he takes the mound on Tuesday.
Who is Shota Imanaga?
Imanaga is a left-handed pitcher entering his eighth season with the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
While he doesn't have the name recognition of Ohtani or Darvish, his track record indicates he could hold his own against powerful lineups.
Imanaga went 12-4 with a 2.04 ERA across 158.2 innings for Yokohama in 2022, striking out 132 batters and registering a 0.94 WHIP. The 29-year-old pitched a no-hitter in 2022, the highlight of a career-best season. He has a career 3.08 ERA across seven professional seasons, including a brief stint in Australia.
So far, Imanaga has only thrown four innings in this World Baseball Classic, allowing one earned run on three hits across two relief appearances. Imanaga will be well-rested entering Tuesday, but he might not be stretched out enough to give Japan much length.
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Shota Imanaga stats
Below are Imanaga's stats across all professional levels, with all but six of his career appearances coming for the Yokohama BayStars.
| Season | IP | W | L | ERA | WHIP | K |
| 2016 | 145.1 | 8 | 10 | 2.85 | 1.07 | 152 |
| 2017 | 154.0 | 12 | 7 | 2.86 | 1.10 | 146 |
| 2018 | 140.1 | 9 | 13 | 4.68 | 1.33 | 157 |
| 2019 | 170.0 | 13 | 7 | 2.91 | 1.08 | 186 |
| 2020 | 53.0 | 5 | 3 | 3.23 | 1.21 | 63 |
| 2021 | 149.1 | 8 | 6 | 2.83 | 1.00 | 140 |
| 2022 | 158.2 | 12 | 4 | 2.04 | 0.90 | 151 |
| Total | 970.2 | 67 | 50 | 3.01 | 1.09 | 995 |
Imanaga has finished with a sub-three ERA in five of his seven professional seasons, with one of the exceptions being the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
His track record in this World Baseball Classic is limited, but if the last two seasons are any indication, Imanaga could have what it takes to survive a Team USA lineup that resembles an all-star team.
MORE: How much do the World Baseball Classic winners make in 2023?
Will Shota Imanaga play in MLB?
Imanaga is 29 years old, so he isn't a prized young phenom like teammate Roki Sasaki, but there have been a handful of Japanese pitchers who have jumped to MLB in the middle of their careers.
As of now, there aren't any rumors indicating Imanaga is set to be posted or come to the majors any time soon.
It's not uncommon for major-league teams to show interest in international players who are long past the point of being prospects.
Japanese starter Hisahi Iwakuma made his MLB debut at age 31 while Korean reliever Seung-Hwan Oh debuted in America at age 33. Even Team Japan teammate Masataka Yoshida is set to debut with the Red Sox at age 29 this season, so there is time for Imanaga to consider his options if he continues to pitch like he did in 2022.
