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Angels ace's latest outing against division rival was a sight for sore eyes

That's the guy we signed -- he finally came to play!
ByEvan Roberts|
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers | Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages

The Angels' top brass could not be too thrilled from the early results from their highest paid free agent pitcher signing since C.J. Wilson. Well, Yusei Kikuchi's last start agains the Rangers might have allowed Perry Minasian to take a deep breath and maybe even get Arte Moreno off his back. In a series opener against the Texas Rangers, who ended up switching spots with the Angels for first place in the American League West standings, Kikuchi was absolutely dialed in and showcased what makes him so special. He tossed six innings, only allowed three hits, one run, and two walks while punching out six Rangers hitters.

Yusei Kikuchi' latest outing against the Texas Rangers was a sight for Angels fans' sore eyes

Kikuchi spammed his best pitch against Texas: his slider. Of his 79 pitches thrown, 37 were sliders which was good for his most used pitch on the day (47% usage). What does that do? Well, it got hitters off his four-seam and he posted a 35% CSW% on his heater. He also posted elite CSW%s on his curveball and changeup, which he sprinkled in 15 times.

Yes, Kikuchi only threw 79 pitches on the day, the second example this season of Ron Washington pulling a dominant starter from the game incredibly early. Would the results have been different if the Angels skipper left his ace out there? Possibly, given how great Kikuchi looked. Kikuchi's outing was a rare instance of the Angels' pitchers looking great, but the lineup struggling -- unfortunately the Angels' hitters could not touch Tyler Mahle and they got blanked on the day. Yet another example of the incongruous nature of the Los Angeles Angels -- their run prevention and run production seem to rarely come together to produce wins. It's always one or the other.

Kikuchi and José Soriano need to right the ship if this team is to finally contend. The Angels pitchers have been so poor to start the 2025 season, and their two best starting pitchers need to stabilize an unsteady group. What Kikuchi did before the start against Texas does not matter (three starts, 18 innings, 5.00 ERA, 5.62 FIP, 16:8 K:BB). All that matters is him pitching like an ace moving forward, especially in these high leverage games against division rivals.

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