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The story
Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi started against the Mariners on the 27th (28th Japan time), taking the loss after allowing 3 runs over 5 innings. That closes out his 8th major-league season at 1 win, 7 losses, and a 4.92 ERA. Since he arrived as a big-ticket 3-year free-agent signing, thread reactions centered on whether his results justify his salary (roughly ¥9.5 billion over three years). Comparisons to the pay of Japan’s national soccer team players, ERA comparisons with fellow lefty Tomoyuki Sugano, and speculation about a possible comeback next season all fueled a split verdict on his performance.
Nikkan Sports
[September 28, 2026, 7:42 AM]
<Mariners 7-3 Angels> ◇27th (28th Japan time) ◇T-Mobile Park
Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here
What people said
Maybe if soccer played like 3 matches a week they could catch up, lol
Also, just gather the world's top talent into MLS — America being the world's #1 sports-business powerhouse — and make MLS the best league on earth?
Pretty sure he's raking it in.
About ¥9.5 billion over 3 years.
Didn't realize things had gotten this bad.
He built a baseball facility in Iwate with his own money, so I think he's exactly the type who'll come back to Japan.
Don't kick a man when he's down (lit. "don't whip a corpse").
Business as usual today.
If he ever comes back to NPB, teams would probably fight over him even with a stat line like this.
He might bounce back next season.
This year they sent Klassen back to the minors so Kikuchi could return to the rotation,
but Klassen was actually pitching better.
At this point it's shaky whether Kikuchi even locks down a rotation spot next season.
Detmers and Ureña are locks (assuming Detmers isn't traded in the offseason).
After that it's probably R. Johnson, G. Rodriguez, Klassen, and Kikuchi battling for the rest.
And the Angels have plenty of good prospects behind them too — Bremner, the #2 overall prospect, plus guys like Dana and other young arms with high strikeout rates.
Maybe their whole goal is to lose a moderate amount and win a moderate amount.
Durability used to be his single biggest asset, so losing that really hurts.
Even for a weak team like the Angels, this isn't the time to be happy about getting praised as a handy 'innings eater.'
No, isn't that exactly the most important thing for a team like the Angels…?
What's the point of comparing him to a Colorado pitcher?
He's a hedge-fund guy, so he's ruthless about it
Kikuchi's still a valuable lefty with trade value, so he'll probably get shopped around.
With right-handers, once their stuff declines they get shelled even with good control
But lefties can sometimes get by on control alone even without velocity
Left-handers just have a built-in advantage in baseball
That's why guys like Kudo and Yamamoto could still pitch at that age
Well, of course
H.e.'.s. n.o.t. a. r.e.t.u.r.n.e.e. k.i.d. (someone raised abroad), y.e.t. h.e. t.a.u.g.h.t. h.i.m.s.e.l.f. t.o. b.e. b.i.l.i.n.g.u.a.l.
a.n.d. h.e.'.s. o.n.l.y. a.r.o.u.n.d. 2.0.
E.v.e.n. j.u.s.t. q.u.a.l.i.f.y.i.n.g. t.o. g.e.t. i.n.t.o. Y.a.l.e. i.s. a. b.a.r. h.i.g.h. e.n.o.u.g.h. t.o. b.e. p.r.o.-.l.e.v.e.l.
He really is incredible
Don't complain
Ohtani going 8-2 with that kind of performance is only because his team is stacked
Kikuchi might've gone 12-1 too if he were on a team like that lol lol lol
Background and key points of this discussion
Yusei Kikuchi signed with the Blue Jays in 2023 on a 3-year deal reported at the time at roughly ¥9.5 billion total, then moved to the Angels partway through 2025. The thread’s central fault line was whether his results justify that salary — comparisons to the pay of Japan’s national soccer team and to Tomoyuki Sugano’s ERA came up repeatedly, while others pointed out his FIP and xFIP haven’t worsened and his velocity hasn’t dropped, fueling hope for a bounce-back next season. Commenters also noted the Angels had never finished a season with 100 losses before this one, and that the club’s new owner — a hedge-fund figure — reportedly still sees Kikuchi as “a lefty with trade value,” meaning front-office circumstances, not just stats, are shaping how he’s judged. Worth noting: the claim that his WBC outing damaged his shoulder is thread speculation, not a confirmed fact.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[USA] Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi takes the loss after 5 innings, 3 runs allowed — 8th MLB season ends at 1-7, 4.92 ERA.”
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