Page 121 - 2025 Los Angeles Angels Media Guide

LHP
YUSEI KIKUCHI

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
◆ Named 2021 American League All-Star. ANGELS FROM JAPAN
◆ Made Major League debut on March 21, 2019 in the Japan Opening
Series between the Mariners and Athletics, and became the first Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1997-2001)
Japanese-born pitcher to make his MLB debut in Japan. Hideki Matsui (2010)
◆ Threw first MLB complete game shutout on August 18, 2019 at TOR,
and pitched 9.0 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and a walk Hisanori Takahashi (2011-12)
with eight strikeouts. Shohei Ohtani (2018-2023)
◆ Led NBP Pacific League with 16 wins (tied), 187.2 innings pitched, and a Junichi Tazawa (2018)
1.97 ERA in 2017 and ranked second in strikeouts (217) and strikeouts Yusei Kikuchi (2025-present)
per 9.0 innings (10.4).
◆ Three-time NPB All-Star (2013, 2017, 2018)...NPB Best Nine in 2017 & 2018.
MAJOR LEAGUE SUMMARY
2023 KIKUCHI
◆ Began fifth Major League season and second with Blue Jays...Set career highs in wins (11), innings pitched (167.2),
ERA (3.86), WHIP (1.27), and strikeouts (181), and matched career high with 32 starts (also, 2019).
◆ Named Blue Jays Most Improved Player by the Toronto Chapter of the BBWAA.
◆ Picked up the win in his season debut on April 4 at KC, tossing 5.0 innings of one-run ball with three hits, a walk, and
two strikeouts...Was first start since Aug. 15, 2022 vs. BAL, and his first win as a starter since July 28, 2022 vs. DET.
◆ Logged 500th MLB strikeout on May 30 vs. MIL against Joey Wiemer...Became ninth Japanese-born player to record
500 strikeouts and 500.0 innings pitched in Major League Baseball.
◆ Allowed one earned run or fewer in six straight starts from July 16 to Aug. 15, which tied with Dave Stieb (Sept. 13,
1988 - Apr. 10, 1989) and Hyun Jin Ryu (Aug. 5 - Sept. 2, 2020) for the longest streak in team history.
2022
◆ Made Blue Jays debut in fourth Major League season...Over 20 starts, went 4-7 with a 5.25 ERA (82.1 IP - 48 ER).
◆ Earned first win as a Blue Jay on May 4 vs. NYY, and tossed six innings of one-run ball on three hits and one walk
with seven strikeouts in first quality start of the season...Induced a season-high 15 swing-and-misses.
◆ Notched 400th career strikeout on June 30 vs. TB, becoming the 15th Japan-born player to reach the milestone.
◆ Went on the injured list with a neck strain from July 7-28.
◆ Moved to the bullpen in mid-August and went 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA (18.1 IP - 10 ER) in 12 relief appeareances.
◆ Earned first career Major League save on Sept. 30 vs. BOS.
2021
◆ Finished third Major League season with Mariners with a 7-9 record and 4.41 ERA (157.0 IP - 77 ER) with 124 strikeouts.
◆ Named an American League All-Star for the first time in his career after posting a 3.48 ERA (98.1 IP - 38 ER) in 16
first half starts...From Apr. 29 to July 1, went 6-2 with a 2.33 ERA (69.2 IP - 18 ER) and 73 strikeouts across 11 starts.
◆ Became the 14th Japanese-born player to be selected for the Midsummer Classic.
◆ Recorded a career-best streak of six quality starts from April 29-May 30, a streak ended when Kikuchi was forced
to leave the game on June 5 at LAA after being hit with a comebacker, having tossed just 4.0 innings on 64 pitches.
◆ Won a career-best five consecutive decisions from May 24 to July 1...Over the seven-start run, was 5-0 with a
1.87 (43.1 IP - 9 ER) and 40 strikeouts...Included a four-start stretch from June 12 to July 1 in which he posted a
1.01 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 26.2 innings.
2020
◆ Finished second season with Mariners and went 2-4 with a 5.17 ERA (47.0 IP - 27 ER) with 47 strikeouts.
◆ Was one of 10 pitchers to make at least nine starts and allow no more than three home runs.
◆ Held opponents to a .190 batting average at T-Mobile Park, allowing just four extra-base hits with 24 strikeouts
and a .513 OPS in four starts.
2019
◆ Made MLB debut with Mariners on Mar. 21 against Oakland at the Tokyo Dome in Japan (4.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB,
3 SO)...Became the first Japanese-born player to make Major League debut in Japan.
◆ Earned his first Major League win on April 20 at LAA.
◆ His 32 starts tied for fourth-most by a rookie in Mariners history (also: Matt Young in 1983), and tied for the
Major League lead among rookies in 2019 (also: Sandy Alcantara, Dakota Hudson, and Merrill Kelly).
◆ Finished the season with 116 strikeouts, sixth-most in club history by a Mariners rookie.
◆ Recorded first career complete game shutout on August 18 at TOR, and allowed just two hits and a walk with
eight strikeouts...Became just the 13th pitcher (17th instance) in club history to throw a complete game shutout
within his first 30 career appearances.

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