How Yusei Kikuchi plans to show Blue Jays he’s capable of more in ’23

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Late one morning at Toronto Blue Jays spring coaching, Yusei Kikuchi’s sitting within the shade beside an empty follow area on the crew’s participant growth advanced. He’s reflecting on a tough 2022 season and describing his improved mind-set as a brand new yr begins. One purpose for his optimism: the “unbelievable” help he’s felt from his teammates.

As if on cue, reliever Anthony Bass walks throughout a close-by parking zone and shouts out his opinion unsolicited.

“Big year ahead for Yusei!”

The Blue Jays actually hope so. Kikuchi disillusioned within the first season of his three-year, $36 million deal, posting a 5.19 ERA over the course of 100.2 innings spanning 20 begins and 12 aid appearances. It was a difficult yr as some preliminary struggles led to strain, then overthinking on the mound after which even worse outcomes. At instances, it spiralled.

Now, although, Kikuchi will get the possibility to show he’s able to extra. As the main candidate to interrupt camp because the Blue Jays’ fifth starter, he has loads of alternative. So far, he’s taking advantage of it. With a extra aggressive strategy and a brand new breaking ball, he’s trying like a unique pitcher via two spring begins. Granted, it’s early, with far larger checks to come back, however there’s hope {that a} mentally and bodily stronger model of Kikuchi can proceed constructing momentum — this time in a constructive method.

“It’ll be a snowball effect,” says starter Alek Manoah. “One outing will turn into two or three good outings, which will turn into five or six good outings, which will turn into a good year.”

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Make no mistake, although: final yr was a difficult one. Speaking largely via interpreter Keito Ebino — though additionally straight in English at instances — Kikuchi recollects the problem of disappointing followers, teammates and himself in 2022.

“Obviously I wasn’t happy with what I gave,” he says. “I was telling myself, ‘This can’t be it. This isn’t me.’ Well, that went from spring to fall.”

Typically, Kikuchi would take a break following the common season. In years previous, he’s additionally returned dwelling to Japan for 10 days or so. But after the frustration of 2022, he did neither. Preferring to get proper to work, he stayed along with his spouse and son in Arizona, the place he began watching video.

He reviewed some footage of his personal outings whereas additionally devoting time to watching Kevin Gausman and Manoah. But most of his video work centered on the sport’s greatest left-handed pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, Max Fried, Julio Urias and Shane McClanahan, to call just a few. Those video periods bolstered one thing he’d mentioned with pitching coach Pete Walker: after he completes his supply, he needs to fall off to the third base facet.

Even past the mechanics, evaluating his supply to theirs merely appeared extra productive than taking a break.

“I tend to think about baseball around the clock,” Kikuchi says. “It’s kind of hard for me to not think about baseball. But when I play with my son or go out with my family, I obviously don’t think about baseball during that time.”

Clearly, this all issues to Kikuchi, and that’s not misplaced on those that put together alongside him day by day.

“He’s such a good person,” Manoah says. “He’s one of the guys who works the hardest and he cares a f***-ton. So to not see the results be there just sucks as a friend and a teammate.”

At the identical time, there’s a degree at which some gamers begin placing an excessive amount of strain on themselves. As Gausman places it: “It’s almost: Can he get out of his own way, right? He’s a very cerebral guy. He thinks and he’s very smart. He knows what he’s trying to do out there.”

With that in thoughts, Kikuchi is making time for the psychological facet of his sport in addition to the mechanical facet. He’s been working with Blue Jays psychological expertise coach Jimmy Van Ostrand since final yr within the hopes of protecting his ideas constructive on the mound.

Plus, Kikuchi believes the arrival of the pitch clock retains him in a superb rhythm as a result of he can’t deliberate about his mechanics in the identical method. At 32 years previous, he is aware of he’s not going to reinvent his entire character. But he says he’s not overthinking the best way he did final yr.

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“I just want to battle with the batter,” he says. “Not against me, you know? Maybe last season I was overthinking mechanics, but this season, close to zero.”

As Manoah says: “He needs to minimize some of the negative thoughts and focus on the positives because he does a lot of really good things.”

With a fastball that averaged 94.9 m.p.h. a yr in the past, Kikuchi has above-average velocity. This spring, he’s been utilizing a brand new breaking ball (a “curveball-slider-ish type thing,” to borrow Gausman’s description) whereas additionally utilizing his splitter. It’s a repertoire that allowed him to generate 14 swinging strikes in his spring debut in opposition to the Pittsburgh Pirates with an outing that opened eyes throughout Blue Jays camp.

“His comfort level with his teammates in his surroundings is so much different than it was last year,” says supervisor John Schneider. “The performance has been great so far. So yeah, we’re counting on him to be pretty good.”

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In a current dialog, Gausman reminded Kikuchi that he struck out extra batters per 9 than anybody within the Blue Jays’ rotation final yr. With stuff like that, the Blue Jays need to see the left-hander assault opposing hitters, making them hit their method on base.

“They’re going to feel like you’re the aggressor,” Gausman says. “A man like him must go on the market and pound the zone.

“His stuff is incredible and he has such a good feel for pitching. His ability to manoeuvre a baseball is second to none.”

Of course, spring coaching outcomes solely imply a lot. For Kikuchi to appreciate his potential, he’ll have to remain constructive within the face of adversity at Yankee Stadium. He’ll must go after hitters on an evening he doesn’t have his greatest stuff at Fenway Park. Many extra challenges await him this yr, and he expects as a lot. Then once more, there’s an opportunity final yr’s struggles find yourself serving a goal.

“I’ve been in professional baseball for 13 years,” he says. “It’s not at all times good instances. It’s not at all times dangerous instances. I imagine good instances come after dangerous instances.”

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