Page title background image

Yusei Kikuchi Fantasy Stats

Background banner image for player info Yusei Kikuchi

Starting Pitcher #16

Out - Shoulder
Height / Weight 6'0"  /  210 lbs.
Date of Birth (Age) Jun 17, 1991 (34)
Experience 8 seasons
College None

2026 Rankings

Preseason SP37
Current SP119

Season Stats

SEASON TEAM POS GP FPTS/G GS W L SV IP ERA WHIP H R ER HR BB SO AVG
2019SEASP328.7326110161.25.461.515195109983650116.295
2020SEASP913.0925047.05.171.29841272732047.238
2021SEASP2914.729790157.04.411.31814582772762163.243
2022TORSP329.020671100.25.181.5009367582358124.243
2023TORSP3215.9321160167.23.871.27016578722748181.249
2024HOUSP3217.4329100175.24.051.20116785792544206.245
2025LAASP3314.1337110178.13.991.42418087792474174.261
2026LAASP79.4703031.05.811.58135202031433.282
Career 206 13.1 194 48 62 1 1019.0 4.50 1.365 1021 555 510 168 370 1044 .257

Game Log

TEAM OPP POS FPTS GS W L SV IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG WHIP
Mar 27, 2026 LAAHOUSP6.310004.1822113.3812.077
Apr 1, 2026 LAACHCSP6.010105.1655045.2861.875
Apr 7, 2026 LAAATLSP15.110105.0644018.3001.400
Apr 13, 2026 LAANYYSP0.710003.1444243.2672.400
Apr 18, 2026 LAASDSP25.910006.0400018.2000.833
Apr 24, 2026 LAAKCSP7.010105.0555025.2631.400
Apr 29, 2026 LAACHWSP4.710002.0200011.2501.500
Last 7 65.8 7 0 3 0 31.0 35 20 20 3 14 33 .282 1.581

Yusei Kikuchi News

Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Could be Out for Several Months or Longer

Los Angeles Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder) could be out for "several months, if not the whole season," sources told Mike DiGiovanna of Halo Territory. Pitching prospect Caden Dana might not be the immediate replacement for Kikuchi in the Angels' starting rotation, but he could be at some point. The Angels placed Kikuchi on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with left-shoulder inflammation, but it appears his injury is much more serious and could cause him to miss the rest of the 2026 campaign. For now, Sam Aldegheri will replace Kikuchi in the rotation to make the start against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. In single-year fantasy baseball leagues, fantasy managers will obviously want to consider dropping Kikuchi altogether. The 34-year-old Japanese hurler really struggled in his first seven starts of the year, going 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA (3.72 FIP) and 1.58 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and 14 walks in 31 innings pitched. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to consider stashing Dana sooner rather than later.
4 days ago   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Placed on 15-Day Injured List Due to Shoulder Inflammation

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder) has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation, retroactive to April 30. Left-hander Tayler Saucedo will replace Kikuchi on the Angels' active roster. Kikuchi has gotten off to a rough start to the 2026 season, posting a 0-3 record with a 5.81 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts across 31 innings (seven starts). The 34-year-old's .352 opponent batting average on balls in play and 65.5% strand rate both point to some poor luck. Still, Kikuchi's 13.4% K-BB rate does not inspire much confidence, and it's possible that this shoulder issue may have been impacting his performance all season. With Kikuchi sidelined, right-hander George Klassen could be in line for a promotion from Triple-A to the Angels' starting rotation.
6 days ago   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Leaves Game on Wednesday with Shoulder Tightness

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder) was removed after two innings in Wednesday's game against the White Sox with what is being described as shoulder tightness. The southpaw came out to warm up before the third inning but left with the trainer. The extent of the injury is not yet known, but fantasy managers should have a backup plan in the event he needs to miss time. The 34-year-old has had a rough go of it so far in 2026, coming into Wednesday's game with a 6.21 ERA (3.71 FIP) and a 1.59 WHIP, although he was generating more than a strikeout per inning with 32 punchouts in 29 innings pitched. His next start would line up with the White Sox again next week, which could make whoever replaces him a potential streaming option.
Apr 29   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi to be Full-Go for Second Game of Regular Season

Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said that left-hander Yusei Kikuchi will start the second game of the season in Houston against the Astros on Friday, March 27, even though he only threw 64 pitches in his Cactus League outing on Thursday night against the Kansas City Royals, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Kikuchi told Suzuki that he'll be a full-go next week. The 34-year-old southpaw allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking none in four innings across two outings for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Kikuchi was an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2025 in his first year in Anaheim, going 7-11 with a 3.99 ERA (4.23 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with 174 strikeouts and 74 walks in 178 1/3 innings over 33 starts. He allowed a league-high 180 hits. Although he's not much more than a No. 5 starting pitcher for depth in deeper fantasy leagues, Kikuchi has been durable, making at least 32 starts in each of the last three years.
Mar 20   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Punches Out 12 in Stellar Start

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi blanked the Boston Red Sox over seven innings of work in Wednesday's 5-2 home win. The veteran yielded three hits, walked one, and fanned a season-high 12 batters, improving to 3-6. Kikuchi has been on quite a stretch recently, punching out 31 over his last 19 2/3 frames (three walks). Furthermore, he hasn't given up more than three runs in an outing in nearly two months (Apr. 26). The 34-year-old's expected stats aren't the most appealing (4.34 xFIP), but he continues to out-pitch his metrics, making him worth riding until regression finds him. He'll square off against the hosting Atlanta Braves the next time he toes the rubber.
Jun 26   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Dominant in Start Against A's

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi blanked the Athletics over 7 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in Monday's 7-4 home win. The 33-year-old struck out five and walked one in the brilliant performance. Kikuchi overwhelmed the A's early, retiring the first 13 batters he faced before yielding a single and a walk in the fifth. However, he'd quickly end the threat with a groundout and cruise through the remaining 2 1/3 innings of his outing. It's the veteran's first quality start in nearly a month (May 12), improving to 2-5 in 2025. He held a 1.89 ERA in May and has continued his success as the calendar turned with a 2.19 ERA in two June starts. His overall ERA on the year is strong (2.92), but he has an inflated 1.47 WHIP due to his issue with free passes, allowing four or more in seven of his 14 starts.
Jun 10   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Highly Ineffective In Early Exit On Saturday

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi imploded in Saturday's game against the Twins after he allowed 13 base runners to reach (nine hits, four walks) in only two innings, resulting in four earned runs, and Minnesota would go on to win 5-1. Just over half of the lefty's 66 pitches were thrown for strikes, and he was unable to record even one strikeout in the contest. The performance comes on the heels of two good efforts over his previous couple of starts, but so far, this season is not looking anything like 2024. Last year, the southpaw posted a 4.05, 1.20 WHIP, 12.8 percent swinging-strike rate, and a 22.0 percent K-BB%; however, this year has produced a 4.31 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 8.5 percent swinging-strike rate, and a 7.1 percent K-BB%. Those stats don't typically generate fantasy-worthy numbers, so managers may have to carefully choose which spots in which to deploy the veteran.
Apr 27, 2025   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Named Angels Opening Day Starter

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington named left-hander Yusei Kikuchi as the team's Opening Day starter on March 27 against the Chicago White Sox. Washington said it was an "obvious" decision. The Angels signed Kikuchi to a three-year, $63 million deal this offseason after the Japanese lefty went a combined 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA (3.46 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with a career-high 206 strikeouts and 44 walks in 175 2/3 innings over 32 starts with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros. The 33-year-old had career-bests in strikeout rate (28%) and walk rate (6.0%), and his FIP and 3.20 xFIP show that his ERA probably should have been under 4.00. His first start with the Halos in 2025 will be a great one for DFS purposes, but fantasy managers in redraft formats may want to expect a little regression in his age-34 campaign. RotoBaller has Kikuchi ranked as the No. 48 fantasy starting pitcher.
Feb 20, 2025   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Angels

Yusei Kikuchi Signs Three-Year Deal With Angels

Free-agent left-hander Yusei Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. The Angels continue to be the most aggressive team early in free agency this offseason. Kikuchi gives the Halos a much-needed addition to their starting rotation for 2025 and beyond. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw went a combined 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA (3.46 FIP), a 1.20 WHIP and 206:44 K:BB in 175 2/3 innings over 32 starts with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros in 2024. He was much better down the stretch in Houston after being acquired at the trade deadline, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 10 starts. The Japanese hurler had a career-best 31.8% strikeout rate and career-low 5.9% walk rate to help his cause and will look to continue that success in 2025 in his new digs in southern California.
Nov 25, 2024   
Yusei Kikuchi  • SP  •  Astros

Yusei Kikuchi An Option To Start Game 3

Houston Astros left-hander Yusei Kikuchi said he was told "a few days ago" that he may be used in Game 2 of the wild-card series on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park in a relief role. Kikuchi will be available out of the bullpen on Wednesday, but he would start a deciding Game 3 on Thursday if it happens and he's not used in relief on Wednesday. The Astros aren't going to hold anything back on Wednesday to try and avoid elimination after losing Game 1 on Tuesday, so it's not a guarantee that the 33-year-old southpaw starts on Thursday. The Astros would be wise to use Kikuchi on Wednesday if the game is close, as he was great in 10 starts after joining Houston in a trade from Toronto, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, 76 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 60 innings pitched down the stretch.
Oct 2, 2024   
LEGEND