Yusei Kikuchi

An artificially high ERA masks Kikuchi's best season since coming overseas. His 4.05 ERA is almost a run higher than estimated by a 3.20 xFIP and 3.30 SIERA. An MLB career-high 28.0 percent strikeout rate and career-low 6.0 percent walk rate generated the league's sixth best K-BB% among qualified hurlers. Kikuchi's 1.28 HR/9 was also a personal best in a full season since leaving Japan. He was especially impressive after being dealt to the Astros as Kikuchi registered a 2.70 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 10 starts. Kikuchi didn't alter his pitch mix or distribution, but he did take a tick or two off his changeup and curveball, increasing the delta from his 95.5-mph four-seam fastball. Optimism is warranted, but Kikuchi will turn 34 years old in the middle of the season and is more likely to take a step back than repeat last year's exploits. He signed a three-year deal with the Angels -- a clear step down in team context -- so his fantasy price tag will be reasonable relative to how he pitched down the stretch in 2024. Read Past Outlooks