The Chicago Cubs find themselves in a tough spot after elbow surgery ended the season for lefty ace, Justin Steele.
Replacing their most consistently excellent starter won’t be an easy task, although the team has continued to perform very well, despite his absence. Sooner or later, it’s believed that swing men and young, mostly unproven arms won’t be enough to fill that top-of-rotation spot.
But, for now, there seems to be no panic among the team, coaching, or the front office.
In part, that calmness has been fostered by the Cubs incredibly improved offense and its 6+ runs per game so far this season. The team’s defense has also been as shutdown good as expected. There’s been some encouragement, as well, from closer Ryan Pressly seemingly settling into his game-finishing role.
The Chicago Cubs’ Other Lefty Ace
Just as important as all of the above, perhaps, is the fact that the Cubs have another lefty ace putting up stellar top-of-rotation numbers.
Japanese stat Shota Imanaga has had an incredible sophomore year thus far, arguably even outshining in some ways his outstanding all-star rookie season, which he finished with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA.
After five starts in 2025, Imanaga is 2-1, with a 2.22 ERA and an excellent ,988 WHIP.
There was a belief among many that the 31-year-old would be in for a more humbling sophomore season, with numbers more in line with a strong middle-of-rotation starter. However, as of this very early stage of the 2025 campaign, the former Yokohama DeNA BayStars standout looks similarly dazzling to last year.
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