Angels $63 Million All-Star Reveals Why He's So Much Better at Angel Stadium

May 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) delivers to the plate in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels' starting pitching has been inconsistent this season, but one veteran arm is finding success at Angel Stadium.

Yusei Kikuchi was the team's biggest offseason acquisition. He was brought in to bring stability to the rotation, and he has managed to do just that.

The 33-year-old lefty pitcher has posted a 2.92 ERA over 14 starts, pitching a total of 77 innings with 68 strikeouts. He is performing well above his career average, and for as good as his figures have been overall, Kikuchi is much better at home rather than on the road.

His ERA is 1.05 in six home starts, but 4.43 in eight starts on the road, marking a sizeable difference in his splits.

“The fans are always great, very supportive, and you can't complain about the weather,” Kikuchi told reporters through his translator after Monday's game against the A's.

“It's nice out here. So I think that's why.”

His performance on Monday was absolutely stellar, going a little more than seven innings and giving the bullpen some reprieve. He only gave up one hit, walked just one batter, and struck out five in his quality start.

The bullpen for Los Angeles has been poor this season, making his extended appearance all the more valuable for the team.

Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Angels this offseason. His play this season is making every dollar on that contract worth it, especially for an organization that has struggled to field productive, stable starting pitching over the years.

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The Japanese pitcher's underlying metric indicate that some regression toward the mean could be coming considering his expected ERA is a staggering 4.68, which is in the 20th percentile for starting pitchers.

He is also in the seventh percentile in chase rate, 10th percentile in walk rate, and 37th percentile in expected batting average allowed.

Even if some regression does come for Kikuchi, his consistency has been extremely valuable for the organization.

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