One of the most exciting storylines that’s emerged from spring training has been the velocity readings on Yusei Kikuchi’s fastball and slider. It started with whispers during the first bullpens of the year and it was finally confirmed during his first start of the spring. Kikuchi is regularly hitting 95 mph with his fastball and his slider has reached the low 90s. This isn’t a case of a hot stadium radar gun either; these velocity readings have been confirmed by the Trackman system installed in Peoria. All the regular caveats apply when we’re dealing with spring stats, but this increase in velocity is definitely interesting nonetheless.
The Reinvention of Yusei Kikuchi Is in Progress
