Japanese pitcher Yusei Kikuchi will be the latest player to make the jump from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB. Earlier this week, it was reported that the Seibu Lions were making Kikuchi available via the posting system, a system that has brought numerous stars from Japan to the U.S., most recently the Angels' Shohei Ohtani.
Kikuchi isn't a generational talent like Ohtani, but he will be a highly sought-after commodity this offseason thanks to his pitching success in Japan. Kikuchi had a 3.08 ERA with 153 strikeouts in 163.2 innings with Seibu this season.
Get to know him below:
Age: 27 years old
Position: Starting pitcher
Throws: Left
Bats: Left
Scouting Report: Kikuchi is projected as a mid-rotation pitcher with the potential to be a No.