Yusei

Kikuchi

Kikuchi came back out for the sixth, but he dealt with a finger cramp while warming up and exited. That was probably for the best, as he had just pulled his ERA under 4.00 to 3.99. It’s the second time in seven big-league seasons that he’s finished with a sub-4.00 ERA, as he came in at 3.86 in 2023. We were pretty skeptical about the Angels’ signing him to a three-year, $63 million deal, but he lived up to his end in year one. It’s not his fault that it resulted in just a 7-11 record.

The 34-year-old southpaw walked three batters on the night while striking out a pair. All of the damage done against him came courtesy of Caleb Durbin who smacked an RBI single in the fourth inning and another after Kikuchi had exited with two men on and two outs in the sixth inning. He got just three whiffs on 92 pitches on the night, posting an underwhelming CSW of 23 percent. He’ll attempt to finish the season on a high note as he brings a 4.05 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 168/73 K/BB ratio (173 1/3 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Royals.

Kikuchi bounced back nicely from his awful start against the A’s where he allowed seven runs over just two innings Saturday. The left-hander allowed only an RBI double to Jorge Polanco while striking out three and issuing just one walk. When Kikuchi isn’t at his best, the results can be toxic. When he’s at his best, he’s one of the best left-handers in the game. If only there was more in-between. He faces the Brewers next week.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Kikuchi as Saturday’s latest meltdown caps a streak of three consecutive starts in which he’s been lit up for five runs or more since August 26. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw surrendered six hits, including a three-run homer to Athletics rookie Colby Thomas. He notched only one strikeout and handed out three free passes in the abbreviated outing. He’ll aim for better results on Thursday against the Mariners but it’s challenging for fantasy managers to trust him on the heels of three consecutive clunkers.

Kikuchi struck out six and walked two while registering a 25 percent whiff rate and 27 percent CSW. Most of the contact he allowed was loud contact with four extra-base hits and an average exit velocity of nearly 96 mph on balls in play. He will take a 3.83 ERA into a solid start against the Athletics at home this weekend.

The 34-year-old southpaw punched out three batters on the night. The Rangers scratched out three runs against him in the opening inning then added on with a two-run shot by Michael Helman in the second and a solo blast from Kyle Higashioka in the third. Kikuchi got 10 swings and misses on 81 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 25 percent. He’ll try to put this one behind him and get back on track as he lugs a 3.68 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a 156/64 K/BB ratio (154 innings) into Monday’s battle against the Astros in Houston.

Kikuchi averaged a season-low 93.6 mph with his fastball last time out, but he was back up to 94.2 mph against the Reds. That’s still a little down overall from his 94.9-mph average on season, but it alleviates some of the concerns from his outing against the A’s. He allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out four in the no-decision against the Reds. Next up for him is a road start in Texas.

Kikuchi allowed two homers, a solo homer by Shea Langeliers in the first and a three-run homer by Colby Thomas two innings later. The 34-year-old allowed five hits, issued four walks and struck out four. No thanks. Kikuchi has been mostly solid in 2025, but isn’t immune from clunkers. He’ll try to avoid another one when he squares off against the Reds on Wednesday.

Kikuchi stranded a runner in the first inning, then gave up a pair of runs on three hits and a sacrifice fly in the second. He worked around two more runners in the third before giving up two more runs in the fourth. Kikuchi worked one more inning and ended his day after five frames with seven strikeouts. The 34-year-old left-hander will take a 3.37 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 146/58 K/BB ratio across 139 innings into a start against the Athletics in Sacramento on Friday.

Kikuchi struck out seven in his first win of the season half. The Angels’ lone All-Star is now 5-7 with a 3.22 ERA and a 139/56 K/BB in 134 innings. He’s due to face the Tigers on Sunday.