It's been a season of highs and hurdles for the Chicago Cubs. While the team rides an impressive 14-game winning streak, their pitching staff is facing some serious challenges. Key arms like Cade Horton (out for the season after an early April injury) and Justin Steele (recovering from UCL surgery) have been sidelined, and the rotation took another hit when Matthew Boyd landed on the IL after a fluke injury—torn meniscus from playing with his kids, requiring surgery and at least a month off.

Enter Shota Imanaga, the left-hander who has become the steadying force the Cubs desperately need. After a stellar rookie campaign in 2024 (15-3 record), Imanaga hit a rough patch last year, finishing 9-8. But this season, he's looking like his old self again. Through seven starts and 41.1 innings, he's posted a crisp 2.40 ERA and a 3-2 record, with more than a strikeout per inning.

That resurgence hasn't gone unnoticed. Two weeks ago, Imanaga was absent from MLB.com's Pitching Power Rankings. This week? He's climbed to No. 8. As one analyst put it, "The starting rotation isn't necessarily high on that list, thanks to both injuries and underperformance. But Imanaga has been an exception to that, and the lefty getting back to his rookie form from 2024 is a huge development on the North Side."

With the Cubs' World Series hopes still alive, Imanaga's consistency is more important than ever. He's the glue holding a battered rotation together—and if he keeps pitching like this, Chicago's championship dreams might just stay on track.