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Yusei Kikuchi Makes Major Announcement Ahead of First Season With Angels

Sam Garcia

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Los Angeles Angels left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi is giving fans an inside look into his daily life on and off the baseball field. The 33-year-old kicked off the new year with an announcement that he started his own YouTube channel.

Kikuchi’s channel also highlights King of the Hill (KOH), which is a training facility in Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan that is fully funded by Kikuchi. The facility is built on the same land leased to Kikuchi’s former high school. Additionally, the facility is used by professional baseball players for offseason training and as a baseball school for children ranging from preschool to middle school.

He announced the news via X. The post translated from Japanese to English reads:

“Hey everyone, KOH and Yusei Kikuchi have started their own YouTube channel! I'd like to talk about not only baseball, but also my personal life, life in America, training, nutrition, reading, and more. If you like our channel, we would be very grateful if you could share it!”

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So far, the YouTube channel has two videos and nearly 6,000 subscribers. Both videos are in the Japanese language. The first video shows Kikuchi driving and talking while the second video documents Kikuchi’s training facility. 

The second video showcases the bullpen, batting cage, weightlifting area, and recovery area in the KOH facility. The video also shows young baseball players being coached in the new facility.

In addition to promoting his training facility, Kikuchi said he wants to show fans more of his personal life in the United States. The Japanese-born pitcher came to the Major Leagues in 2019 after playing professionally in Japan and Australia for eight seasons.

Kikuchi signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2019 to begin his MLB career. Then, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 before he was traded at this season’s deadline to the Houston Astros. Kikuchi was traded for right-handed pitcher Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido, and second baseman Will Wagner.

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In the second half of the season, Kikuchi was a standout pitcher for the Astros. He held a 5-1 record while logging a 2.70 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 10 starts. 

Despite playing six MLB seasons, Kikuchi has very little postseason experience. He has only pitched 1.2 innings of a postseason game. His singular outing occurred in Game 2 of the 2023 American League Wild Card Series against the Minnesota Twins, where he allowed three hits and one run.

Regardless, Kikuchi will be an impactful addition to the Angels’ young rotation this season.

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Sam Garcia
SAM GARCIA

Samantha Garcia is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Professional Writing. She is also a sports writer for the Daily Bruin at UCLA.

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