No one is more deserving of a mulligan than Mariners pitcher Yusei Kikuchi for his less-than-stellar rookie season last year. To say the 28-year-old was emotionally overwhelmed on many levels would be a severe understatement.
The rollercoaster began with an unusual MLB debut that took place in Kikuchi’s home country, in the final game of the career of his childhood hero, Ichiro Suzuki. Days later, Kikuchi’s father passed away following a battle with cancer. And, in July, Kikuchi’s wife gave birth to their first child, Leo. All while Kikuchi had to adjust to a foreign league in a foreign country.