Cubs Pitcher Shota Imanaga Parties Hard After Clinching Playoff Berth
Cubs ace Shota Imanaga doesn’t drink champagne — he absorbs it.
Party hard, Chicago.
The Cubs are heading back to the postseason — and it wasn’t a small celebration. After Wednesday’s 8–4 win over the Pirates, Japanese Chicago Cubs ace Shota Imanaga was drenched in clubhouse champagne, delivering an unforgettable postgame reaction.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Shota Imanaga #18 and Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrate clinching an MLB Postseason berth at PNC Park on September 17, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Seiya Suzuki #27 and Shota Imanaga #18 of the Chicago Cubs celebrate clinching an MLB Postseason berth at PNC Park on September 17, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
The Cubs, now 88-64, clinched their first full-season playoff berth since 2018 (and first postseason appearance since 2020).
Imanaga, 32, was hyped to the high heavens.
Under his champagne shower, he dropped this gem, for all the dudes celebrating the Cubs' win:
"I learned that with champagne, instead of drinking it, you should absorb it with your skin. It feels better," Imanaga said from the clubhouse celebration.
WATCH:
The scene brought to mind legendary celebrations — like the late Bob Uecker’s infamous Brewers moment in 2024, when Mr. Baseball shamelessly peed his pants after clinching the division.
Elsewhere in the NL, the stretch run is intense: the Diamondbacks and Reds are fighting for wild card spots, hoping the Mets slip out of the sixth spot. But in the NL Central, things are settled — the Brewers locked up the division, and the Cubs punched their ticket to October.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 14: Shota Imanaga #18 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Wrigley Field on September 14, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
Chicago’s rotation — led by Imanaga, rookie Cade Horton, and veteran Matthew Boyd (minus a rough outing on Wednesday) — has put the team on a confident path in Craig Counsell’s second season.
Imanaga has followed up his strong rookie campaign with another standout season: he’s 9-7 with a 3.29 ERA, 110 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP in 23 starts.
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