There will be a familiar face on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels this week and it just so happens to be the pitcher the Blue Jays never wanted to part ways with in the first place.
Old friend Yusei Kikuchi will get the ball on Wednesday night in a matchup against his former team. It will be the first time the veteran left-hander has faced the Jays since they dealt him to the Houston Astros at last year’s deadline.
When the last-place Jays made that trade in July they were quick to point out the two sides could be reunited in the off-season. That possibility never came to pass as Kikuchi’s strong second half priced himself above Toronto’s range for a fourth or fifth starter.
The numbers that Kikuchi put up in Houston were nothing short of remarkable. After producing a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts for the Jays, the 33-year-old went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA while striking out a career-high 11.4 batters per nine innings in 10 outings for the Astros.Â
Kikuchi surrendered more than three earned runs in just one of those starts. In seven others, he allowed two earned runs or fewer. Kikuchi might have been a mid-rotation piece with the Jays, but in Houston he performed like a No. 1 starter and the Angels later paid him like one with a three-year deal worth $63.68 million (U.S.).
Success this season has been much harder to come by. In seven starts, Kikuchi is 0-4 with a 4.21 ERA. His 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings are his lowest since 2019 while his 4.7 walks per nine innings are his most since his 2022. Equally problematic, he’s serving up nearly a home run per game.
That’s not very ace-like and the inconsistency isn’t new. After all, Kikuchi’s entire career has been a roller-coaster. When he’s on, few pitchers perform better. When he’s off, there aren’t too many high-priced arms who pitch worse.
The Jays experienced that wild ride firsthand. During Kikuchi’s first year in Toronto, he was pulled from the rotation in July after he produced a highly disappointing 5.25 ERA in 20 starts. He spent the rest of 2022 as a long reliever and didn’t return to starting until 2023.
The following season was much better. Kikuchi went 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts while cutting his walk rate in half. He carried that success into the first two months of 2024 before reverting back to his old ways. In 11 starts with the Jays in June and July, Kikuchi went 2-5 with a 6.42 ERA.
Those struggles weren’t enough to scare off the Astros. With a lack of frontline starters available at the deadline, Houston decided to ante up for the unpredictable arm. The Jays acquired a package of prospects that included right-hander Jake Bloss, infielder Will Wagner and outfielder Joey Loperfido.
At the time, it was considered an overpay by the Astros, but then Kikuchi went out and pitched better than he ever had before. He started throwing his slider more, his fastball less, and he dominated down the stretch with the Astros winning each of his first nine starts.
That success prompted criticism of the Jays for not making similar changes to Kikuchi’s pitch mix. But that criticism missed a key point: This is a pitcher who is constantly tinkering. What works one month might not work the next, and he’s always looking to make adjustments.
The Jays might be getting Kikuchi at the right time and the same could be said about the Angels. Since starting the year 9-5, the Angels entered this three-game set having lost 15 of their past 19. Within a few weeks, they went from being in a wild-card spot to the bottom of the standings.
For the Jays, this matchup marks a slight reprieve. Through 34 games, they had one of the most difficult schedules in the majors. Outside of one series against the Washington Nationals, all of their other matchups were against teams that began the year expecting to contend.
It’s a short break because following Los Angeles, the Jays will travel to Seattle for a series against the Mariners. After that, there will be games against the AL-Central leading Detroit Tigers, the NL wild-card holding San Diego Padres and divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays.
Kikuchi will be tasked with making sure this mid-week series is anything but a lay-up. Over the past couple years, he frequently helped keep an underwhelming Jays’ lineup within striking distance. This season, he’ll be looking to take advantage of that same group with some strikeouts of his own.
Despite the separation, there’s no bad blood. Kikuchi had nothing but positive things to say about pc28¹ÙÍøand the Jays were interested in bringing him back until they could no longer afford him. However, on Wednesday, Kikuchi will be trying to make a statement that he was worth every penny.
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