The Cubs had a lot of conviction that Shota Imanaga would be a quality signing for the team.

But even they didn’t expect this.

Imanaga’s rookie season has gone better than anybody could have hoped for when he inked a 2-year, $22.5 million deal in January with a pair of team options.

[MORE: Shota Imanaga and Shohei Ohtani shared a perfect little moment before first matchup]

The Japanese southpaw – who just turned 31 on Sept. 1 – has had zero issue adjusting to Major League Baseball.

After tossing 7 strong innings in a showdown against fellow countrymen Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, Imanaga is now 13-3 this season with a 3.03 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.

The Cubs are 21-6 in games Imanaga starts.

“He’s exceeded our expectations,” Jed Hoyer said. “I mean, we thought we were getting a really good starting pitcher. The year he’s had this year – his record after losses and the length he’s given us and even just from a makeup and cultural standpoint, he’s been awesome.

“He’s been a breath of fresh air the whole time. He’s been outstanding. Hope he keeps building off this. But it’d be hard to say that we expected this kind of performance from him this year.”

In his last start at Wrigley, Imanaga tossed 7 hitless innings as he teamed with Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge to throw the team’s 2nd-ever combined no-hitter.

After that game, Imanaga showcased his endearing sense of humor that has been prevalent throughout his first season in the U.S.

The Cubs have been cautious with Imanaga all season, often finding ways to give him extra rest between starts. In Japan, the schedule is different and he was used to pitching only once a week – not on a 5-day rotation that is standard in MLB.

The Cubs have also limited Imanaga’s workload within games, as he has topped 100 pitches only 3 times in 27 outings and his season high is 103 pitches.

So when he was up to 95 pitches through 7 innings Wednesday during the no-hitter, it was an easy call for Craig Counsell to make a pitching change.

Being a part of a combined no-hitter is certainly special, but a full 9-inning no-no would have been the icing on the cake for Imanaga during his spectacular rookie campaign.

“I wish the pitch count could have been a little lower so he could have gone for it,” Hoyer said. “That would have been a lot of fun. But that was kind of a no-brainer decision, given where we are in the season and given the fact that we always try to give him extra rest and do those things.

“I don’t think there was even a decision to be made. I think that was obvious but you sort of wish he had been at 80, 82 pitches and he could have really had a chance to go for it. It would have been a lot of fun.”

If that’s the only regret the Cubs have with Imanaga in 2024, it’s safe to say it has been quite a success.