Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi has been tapping into different resources for development as he seeks improvement.
Kikuchi talked with the Angels' hitters and hitting coach, according to a new report from Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
The Japanese pitcher is seeking to improve his efficiency after needing 94 pitches for four innings of work in his last start against the Athletics.
Kikuchi is looking for a hitter's perspective on how they would attack him in the box.
“Obviously, it’s been a little while since I hit, and I was never really a good hitter myself, so it’s good to get information from hitters on what their thought process is when they’re in the box,” Kikuchi told Fletcher via a translator.
“I want to get their opinion as to how they would approach me potentially.”
At this point in the season, it is hard for a pitcher to make a drastic change like adding a pitch or significantly altering his pitch mix.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, the starter is looking to use his own arsenal differently to surprise batters more often.
“I can’t create another pitch,” Kikuchi said.
“I’m just going to continue to use all my pitches in the arsenal and make sure I’m locating them. I think making an adjustment in pitch usage might go a long way. … I was just becoming a little more predictable. So we’ll make an adjustment with the usage, and I think it will pay dividends.”
This season, the 34-year-old has pitched in 26 games, racking up 143 innings and averaging more than five innings per start.
For a player who makes $21 million per year, Kikuchi needs to go deeper into games, especially since the Angels bullpen continues to struggle.
When he is out on the mound, he can get outs at a high rate. His ERA of 3.52 is good, and his 2.2 WAR shows that he is valuable to the team.
His expected numbers indicate some luck is going his way this season — as his expected ERA is 4.50 and his expected FIP is 4.14.
The strikeouts, whiff rate, and chase percentage are all down compared to last season, indicating his stuff has declined a bit.
However, he still possesses an expansive arsenal that can be combined with his experience to remain effective.
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