Much has been written on Lookout Landing about Mariners starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, and for good reason. The six-foot southpaw is one of the hardest pitchers for anyone to figure out. Sometimes it’s the hitters that have a tough time figuring him out. Most often it’s us.
Kikuchi’s MLB career has been marred by inconsistency. After the Mariners signed him pre-2019 from the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s NBP, Kikuchi’s first season stateside saw him put up just 0.3 fWAR, weighed down by an FIP of 5.71. Kikuchi could be forgiven for his rocky start: as has been discussed ad nauseum, that season saw him deal with a completely new country, the birth of his son, and the death of his father.