2024 Stats
W-L
2-4
ERA
3.25
WHIP
1.20
K
61
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Kikuchi enjoyed a career year in 2023 and finished with a 3.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 181:48 K:BB over 167.2 innings. He nearly cut his walk rate in half to 6.9 percent and had a solid 25.9 percent strikeout rate. A 3.77 xFIP also indicates his results were mostly earned, though a 42.4 percent hard-hit rate and 1.45 HR/9 were both bottom-10 among qualified starters despite being significant improvements from his 2022 marks. The left-hander, who will turn 33 years old in June, continues to average about 95 mph with his fastball and still generates plenty of whiffs, but those swing-and-misses have never really translated to equitable run prevention. Kikuchi's 2023 numbers certainly weren't a fluke, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be able to replicate them. A regression in 2024 shouldn't be the expectation but certainly wouldn't be surprising given the 5.02 ERA across his first four MLB seasons after coming over from Japan. Read Past Outlooks
Roughed up in no-decision
Kikuchi escaped Sunday's 14-11 loss to Detroit with a no-decision, yielding five earned runs on eight hits over just three innings. He did not record a walk or strikeout.
ANALYSIS
Kikuchi got roughed up in this one, surrendering four extra-base hits including a solo home run to Spencer Torkelson. The five earned runs are a season high for Kikuchi, who entered this game on a four-game streak allowing two runs or fewer. The 32-year-old still sports a solid 3.25 ERA after Sunday's outing, but more regression could be coming if his 0.74 HR/9 normalizes to his career average of 1.56. His is tentatively slated for a home start next weekend against the Pirates.
Kikuchi got roughed up in this one, surrendering four extra-base hits including a solo home run to Spencer Torkelson. The five earned runs are a season high for Kikuchi, who entered this game on a four-game streak allowing two runs or fewer. The 32-year-old still sports a solid 3.25 ERA after Sunday's outing, but more regression could be coming if his 0.74 HR/9 normalizes to his career average of 1.56. His is tentatively slated for a home start next weekend against the Pirates.
Pitching Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Minor League Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
89
Last 10 Games
89
Last 5 Games
88
How many pitches does Yusei Kikuchi generally throw?
1-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100
101-110
111-120
121+
What part of the game does Yusei Kikuchi generally pitch?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
-22%
BAA vs LHP
2024
-24%
BAA vs LHP
| BAA | K | BB | H | HR | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2022vs Left | .206 | 75 | 18 | 53 | 8 | |||
| Since 2022vs Right | .263 | 291 | 101 | 265 | 47 | |||
| 2024vs Left | .200 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2024vs Right | .264 | 50 | 12 | 52 | 5 | |||
| 2023vs Left | .214 | 39 | 8 | 28 | 6 | |||
| 2023vs Right | .266 | 142 | 40 | 137 | 21 | |||
| 2022vs Left | .198 | 25 | 9 | 17 | 2 | |||
| 2022vs Right | .256 | 99 | 49 | 76 | 21 | |||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | |||||||
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
-9%
ERA at Home
2024
-24%
ERA at Home
| ERA | WHIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2022Home | 3.95 | 1.14 | 166.1 | 10.2 | 3.0 | ||||
| Since 2022Away | 4.36 | 1.52 | 163.0 | 9.8 | 3.5 | ||||
| 2024Home | 2.81 | 0.97 | 32.0 | 8.4 | 1.7 | ||||
| 2024Away | 3.72 | 1.45 | 29.0 | 9.6 | 2.2 | ||||
| 2023Home | 3.97 | 1.18 | 79.1 | 9.9 | 3.1 | ||||
| 2023Away | 3.77 | 1.35 | 88.1 | 9.6 | 2.1 | ||||
| 2022Home | 4.58 | 1.16 | 55.0 | 11.8 | 3.8 | ||||
| 2022Away | 5.91 | 1.91 | 45.2 | 10.2 | 6.9 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
Stat Review
How does Yusei Kikuchi compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
K/BB
4.69K/9
9.0BB/9
1.9HR/9
0.7Fastball
95.5 mphERA
3.25WHIP
1.20BABIP
.331GB/FB
1.44Left On Base
75.8%Exit Velocity
82.8 mphBarrels/BBE
4.9%Spin Rate
2284 rpmBalls Hit 95+ MPH
25.9%Swinging Strike
10.9%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Possible trade piece
Kikuchi could be dealt at the trade deadline if the Blue Jays aren't in playoff contention, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca.
ANALYSIS
Toronto sits in last place in the AL East with an 18-22 record, and it could be sellers at the deadline if that outlook doesn't improve. Kikuchi took a surprising step forward last season with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts, and he's been even better early in 2024 with a 2.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 46:9 K:BB across 47.2 innings. The 32-year-old is making $10 million in the final year of his contract, and he could be one of the top starters on the market if available this summer.
Toronto sits in last place in the AL East with an 18-22 record, and it could be sellers at the deadline if that outlook doesn't improve. Kikuchi took a surprising step forward last season with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts, and he's been even better early in 2024 with a 2.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 46:9 K:BB across 47.2 innings. The 32-year-old is making $10 million in the final year of his contract, and he could be one of the top starters on the market if available this summer.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2016
Kikuchi is at a career crossroads as his non COVID-shortened seasons look terrible by most measures. His ERA and ERA estimators have been messy in each of those seasons, and then he further compounded problems in 2022 with a noticeable spike in his walk rate with a healthy dose of homers. Just six pitchers have ever thrown at least 100 innings with walk rates of at least 12% while allowing 2 homers per nine innings as Kikuchi did and those names include Oliver Perez, Andy Benes, and Derek Holland and each of their ERAs were over a full run higher than what Kikuchi somehow pulled off last season at 5.19. The strikeout rate was am impressive as he ran away from his cutter and threw more fastballs, but only his changeup was tough to hit for the league. It is perplexing to see someone with such poor overall numbers to have four pitches with Whiff rates above 25%, but that is what Kikuchi pulled off last season. Perhaps there is a brighter future for him in relief where he can pump up the velocity in shorter stints because he has had issues sustaining that over the course of a season. Funny data point: did you know Kikuchi's four-seam fastball generated more swings and misses in 2022 than four-seamers thrown by Justin Verlander and Alek Manoah? Now you do.
More Fantasy News
Stuck with loss
Kikuchi (2-4) took the loss Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks across six innings. He struck out six.
ANALYSIS
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Strikes out nine in no-decision
Kikuchi didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Baltimore, allowing one run on six hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. He struck out nine.
ANALYSIS
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Gets starting nod Wednesday
Kikuchi is slated to start Wednesday's game against the Orioles in Baltimore, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Stuck with tough loss Friday
Kikuchi (2-3) took the loss Friday as the Blue Jays were downed 3-2 by the Twins, giving up two runs on four hits over eight innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.
ANALYSIS
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Quality start wasted Friday
Kikuchi came away with a no-decision in Friday's 9-3 loss to the Nationals, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out seven.
ANALYSIS
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