CHICAGO -- Shota Imanaga won Cubs fans over from the jump. During his introductory press conference at Cubs Convention in January, the pitcher leaned into the microphone in front of him and recited the opening lines of, “Go Cubs, Go.”

That was the beginning of a swiftly-formed bond between Imanaga and the team’s fan base, but behind the scenes he was also quickly winning over his teammates and the Cubs’ staff. Cubs manager Craig Counsell believes it has been the pitcher’s daily attitude -- one built on curiosity, growth mindset and finding moments to have a little fun -- that helped pave the path to Imanaga’s first All-Star nomination.

“It’s contributed to him being on the All-Star team,” Counsell said. “He’s a learner. He wants to get better. He’s curious. And all those things keep him moving forward, get him past the tough moments. And he wants more. And he always tries to do a little better and do a little more and get better at the next thing.

“Those are just signs of great players. And he’s very deserving of the recognition.”

Imanaga was named to the National League’s pitching staff on Sunday, making him the first Cubs rookie to be named an All-Star since Kris Bryant in his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2015. Imanaga was the lone member of Chicago’s team to make the Senior Circuit’s squad for the Midsummer Classic, which is set for 7 p.m. CT on July 16 (on FOX) at Globe Life Field in Texas.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Imanaga joins Sam Jones (1955) as the only Cubs rookie pitchers to earn All-Star honors. Imanaga is the first official rookie pitcher to make an All-Star team for Chicago since 1958, when rookie rules were first established by MLB.

Counsell called a team meeting and delivered the news to Imanaga.

“When I was going into the meeting, I wasn’t sure what the topic was going to be about,” Imanaga said via his interpreter, Edwin Stanberry. “We have plenty of amazing players and so if other people got chosen, that would make sense. When I was chosen, it made me very happy.”

Imanaga’s All-Star case was strong.

After signing a four-year, $53 million contract with the Cubs, the 30-year-old Imanaga got off to a historic start for the North Siders. The lefty set a new record for the lowest ERA (0.84) by a rookie through the first nine starts of a career (excluding openers), dating back when the earned run became an official statistic in 1913.

Imanaga took home the NL Rookie of the Month honor for March-April by going 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA out of the gates. As of now, the left-hander is 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 92 strikeouts against just 15 walks through 91 innings in his 16 starts for Chicago.

“With Shota, we knew we were getting a polished pitcher,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. “He’s a guy who’s performed in Japan and obviously knows what he’s doing. But he’s a guy that wants to continue to get better and wants to continue to learn. When you have that [combination], usually it lines up for some pretty cool success.”

Imanaga had steered clear of any questions about his chances of being named an All-Star in recent weeks, especially after a couple of outings went awry on him. Between a May 29 start in Milwaukee and a June 21 effort at home against the Mets, he allowed 17 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings. Outside of those two games, he has a 1.61 ERA in 14 turns for the Cubs.

After Chicago’s 5-0 win on Sunday, Imanaga was willing to talk about being named among the game’s top talents.

“I can tell the Chicago Cubs fans that are cheering me on, as well as the fans in Japan, some good news,” Imanaga said.

To give a general glimpse into how valuable Imanaga has been for the Cubs, the ballclub has gone 12-4 in the games he has pitched. That includes a pair of 1-0 wins. Within the losses, Imanaga had one quality start and another game with no runs yielded over five innings. On non-Imanaga days, the Cubs have gone 30-45 this year.

During his outings, Imanaga has also entertained fans with his animated reactions on the mound. Counsell said that is just another example of the pitcher’s infectious personality.

“The competition in this game is so hard and it feels so intense,” Counsell said. “And for most of us we have to have this game face on. And the way he competes, there’s just a joy to the way it feels like he competes. I think we all are a little jealous of that, really -- the way we see him compete. At least I am.

“It’s really fun to watch. There’s a real, genuine joy.”