"If the home run didn't exist in baseball, everything about today's Shota Imanaga discussion would look different. He would be coming off of a Spring Training that featured a return of his typical velocity, and an eye-popping volume of swing and miss."
"Imanaga is going to give up home runs from time to time, at a rate much higher than his peers; for him to have success, therefore, a disproportionate volume of those homers must come with the bases empty."
"There are versions of yesterday's start where a ball doesn't leave the park, and it actually is a very good outing for Shota Imanaga. But that only underscores the concern."
Shota Imanaga's Spring Training showcased his typical velocity and swing-and-miss ability. However, the reality of home runs complicates his evaluation. Imanaga's debut featured five innings with one run allowed, but home runs he gave up last year and in Spring Training are critical for assessing his performance. His tendency to allow home runs, especially with runners on base, poses a risk for the Cubs. Despite this, one start does not drastically alter projections for Imanaga's future performance.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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