Chicago Cubs Lineup (3/18/25): Happ Leads Off, Shaw 3B, Imanaga Starting Season Opener

I’d apologize for the brevity here, but I assume no one is getting up early enough to read through this much before the game. The 2025 season is officially underway with the Cubs and Dodgers squaring off halfway around the globe in front of a sold-out crowd with the get-in-the-door price reportedly reaching $3,500 and maybe more. That’s because tickets are so scarce on the secondary market, something that must make Tom Ricketts very jealous.

We took a look at Shōta Imanaga in a full piece on Monday, so I’ll refer you back to that for more on the lefty starter. Watch his pitch mix to see if he’s working in more of his secondaries than just the splitter, especially with this outing limited due to it coming so much earlier than normal. Maybe he’ll throw scissors as he tries to cut up the Dodgers lineup.

Getting a little run support would be nice. Ian Happ leads off in left with Seiya Suzuki at DH and Kyle Tucker in right. Michael Busch cleans up at first, Matt Shaw is at third, Dansby Swanson is the shortstop, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is in center. Miguel Amaya is behind the dish and Jon Berti is at second.

They’re facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose debut MLB season was limited to just 90 innings over 18 starts due to a triceps injury. He has a very similar repertoire to Imanaga, with his four-seam and splitter making up nearly two-thirds of his pitches. The difference is that his 23% curveball usage gives him a much stronger breaking-ball profile.

Adrenaline should have his heater ticking up to at least 96 mph, making his 90 mph split that much more effective. If his big hook is working as well, this is going to be a very tough matchup for the Cubs. But hey, the excitement goes both ways and Yamamoto could get in trouble if he’s not hitting his spots early. Let’s hope that’s the case.

First pitch is at 5:10am CT on Marquee, FOX, and 670 The Score.