Shota Imanaga is in the midst of a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. His 3.0 bWAR last season proved that he’s worth every penny, and the 31-year-old is going to give it all he has in these next few years of his career. Recently, Imanaga was the highlight of an auction as his rookie debut patch card was up for sale.
Shota Imanaga’s Card Sold for $82,961
The collector’s market has been sky high recently, and this proves to be no different. Imanaga’s sale marks the fourth-highest for any debut patch in public records. Only four other cards from the program have topped $50,000, with Imanaga joining that exclusive list. The $82,961 is a steep increase from the previous high for any of Imanaga’s other cards, which topped out at $11,712.
Collectors will point out that this card was worth so much more as it was a rookie debut patch autograph 1/1. There is only one of these cards in existence, and it includes not only a rookie debut patch but also Imanaga’s autograph.
His card, which sold for $11,712, was a 1/1 autograph that came in at a perfect PSA 10 but lacks the rookie debut patch aspect. It’s hard to fathom how much money people spend on these collectibles, but they are investment pieces that could be worth so much more in the future.
Back in March, Paul Skenes set the mark as his rookie debut patch 1/1 autograph card sold for $1.11 million. The two pitchers are far from comparable, especially looking at their nearly 10-year age difference. Skenes has a much higher ceiling for the next 10+ year career he has ahead of him, accounting for the massive price difference.
The price on Skenes’ card should take nothing away from how impactful Imanaga is on the game of baseball. The Chicago Cubs are one of the hottest teams in the league, and Imanaga is a huge part of their starting rotation. At 17-12, Chicago has lost two straight. The Cubs play the Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers this week after enjoying a day off to prepare for six pivotal NL Central showdowns.
Imanaga is expected to pitch tomorrow, April 29, as the Cubs begin their six-game road stand in Pittsburgh. This is the first time these two teams are playing each other this season, but Skenes isn’t expected to pitch until the series finale on Thursday, May 1.
In two of his last three starts, Imanaga has given up five earned runs. The first time he did so was on April 9 against the Texas Rangers, a game where he picked up his first loss of the season. Imanaga sits at 2-1 this season with a 3.18 ERA. It’ll take a lot for him to match his 15-3 record from last season, but it’s still far too early to give up on the lefty, even though he’s given up 10 earned runs in his last three starts.