Page 82 - 2026 Los Angeles Angels Media Guide

Yusei
usei
Y
KIKUCHI 16

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
◆ Two-time American League All-Star (2021, 2025). 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
2024
◆ Began sixth Major League season and third with Blue Jays...Went 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA (115.2 IP - 61 ER) and 130
KIKUCHI
strikeouts across 22 starts with Toronto.
◆ Struck out a career-high 13 batters on July 9 at SF...Notched double-digit strikeouts in three starts in 2024 (also, Aug.
2 vs. TB and Aug. 31 vs. KC).
◆ Traded from Blue Jays to Astros on July 29, 2024 in exchange for RHP Jake Bloss, OF Joey Loperfido, and INF Will Wagner.
◆ Went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA (60 IP - 18 ER) and 76 strikeouts in 10 starts with Houston; Kikuchi’s 76 strikeouts tied
for the fourth-most in Astros history through a player’s first 10 appearances with the club (Roger Clemens, 2004).
◆ Set a franchise record by pitching the Astros to nine consecutive team wins through his first nine starts with the Club.
◆ Tied Astros franchise record by striking out eight consecutive batters on Aug. 2 vs. TB; Also became first pitcher in
MLB history to strike out eight consecutive hitters in a team debut...Became the fifth player in Astros history to strike
out 11+ batters in their debut with the team.
◆ Finished the season 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA (175.2 IP - 79 ER) and 206 strikeouts combined across his time with
Toronto and Houston...Finished third in the American League in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (10.55), fifth in strikeouts
(206), and sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.68).
◆ Became 12th Japanese-born pitcher to record at least 200 strikeouts in a single season...Kikuchi’s 206 punchouts in
2024 rank 10th all-time for a Japanese-born pitcher.
2023
◆ 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.

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