1. Career
Yasunori Kikuchi's baseball journey began in his early life, leading him through a successful amateur career before he joined Nippon Professional Baseball, where he played for over a decade with two different teams.
1.1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Born in Daigo-cho, Kuji District, Ibaraki, Kikuchi was an active child, even participating in a national dodgeball tournament during his elementary school years at Daigo Town Yata Elementary School. He later attended Daigo Town Daigo Junior High School.
He began his baseball career at Tokiwa University High School, where he was on the team's bench from his first year. In the autumn 2006 Ibaraki Prefectural Tournament, his team finished as runner-up, earning them a spot in the Kanto Tournament. In their first game there, they faced Narita High School, led by pitcher Yuki Karakawa. Despite Kikuchi holding the opposing lineup to six hits, his team's offense could not provide enough support, leading to a loss and missing out on the Senbatsu Tournament.
In his third year, Kikuchi became the team's ace pitcher and batted clean-up as the fourth hitter. In the summer Ibaraki Prefectural Tournament, he delivered a dominant performance in the semi-final against Toyo University Ushiku High School, recording 16 strikeouts and pitching a complete game shutout. However, in the final, his team was defeated by Joso Gakuin High School, which featured Daiki Kiyohara, preventing Kikuchi from reaching the prestigious Koshien Tournament.
On October 3, 2007, Yasunori Kikuchi was selected by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the fourth round of the high school draft, marking his entry into professional baseball.
1.2. Professional Career
Kikuchi's professional career spanned from 2008 to 2022, during which he pitched for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for 11 seasons and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp for 4 seasons, experiencing various roles from starter to reliever.
1.2.1. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2008-2018)
Kikuchi began his professional career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. In his rookie year of 2008, he did not make any appearances for the first team but was notably the only high school pitcher from his draft class to be registered with the first team. The following year, in 2009, he primarily served as a middle reliever in the second team, making 13 appearances before the Fresh All-Star Game. He was selected to participate in the Fresh All-Star Game as a substitute for his teammate Takashi Ishida. During the game, Kikuchi pitched one scoreless inning, striking out two key batters from the Western League.
On September 23, 2010, Kikuchi made his professional debut, first start, and earned his first professional win against the Saitama Seibu Lions. He pitched five innings, allowing only two hits and two earned runs in a strong performance. In 2012, he was promoted to the first team late in the season, starting four games and finishing with a 1-1 record. In the second team, he achieved a 7-2 record, leading the Eastern League in winning percentage at .778, and was recognized as an outstanding player. During the fall camp, manager Senichi Hoshino selected Kikuchi as one of five young pitchers for special strengthening, and a staff vote on the final day of camp awarded him the right to be the opening day starter for the following year's exhibition games.
In 2013, following his strong performance in the exhibition games, Kikuchi made the opening day roster and joined the starting rotation in April. However, he struggled, getting knocked out of four consecutive starts, including one where he failed to record a single out before being removed. Although he was not sent down to the second team, he was moved to a middle relief role. On June 2, against the Chunichi Dragons at K-Stadium Miyagi, he was given another start and pitched effectively, going nearly six innings scoreless, securing his first win of the season and his first victory at the home stadium.
The 2014 season saw Kikuchi start outside the opening day roster, oscillating between the first and second teams, primarily in a relief capacity. However, on August 17, he made his first start of the season against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Kobo Stadium Miyagi. He delivered an impressive performance, pitching six innings with three hits, no walks, and no runs, earning his first win in approximately one year and two months since the Chunichi Dragons game the previous year. He maintained his spot in the starting rotation for the remainder of the season, achieving a career-high four wins.
In 2015, Kikuchi made his first appearance and start of the season on April 30 against the Orix Buffaloes, pitching six scoreless innings and solidifying his place in the starting rotation. In his second start, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, he pitched into the seventh inning, striking out eight and allowing only two runs, earning his first win of the season. Although he finished the year with four wins again, he pitched over 100 innings for the first time in his career. Notably, he did not record a win in any home games that season.
The 2016 season was challenging for Kikuchi due to a right shoulder injury that had begun in September of the previous year, keeping him in the second team for rehabilitation. He finally made his first first-team appearance on August 23. In his subsequent outing on August 30, he pitched six innings, giving up two runs, and securing his only win of the season, finishing with an earned run average of 5.16. In May of that year, it was also announced that he had married a woman from his hometown.
In 2018, Kikuchi's appearances were limited to just three games. Following the season, on November 29, it was announced that he would be traded to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in exchange for pitcher Yuya Fukui.
1.2.2. Hiroshima Toyo Carp (2019-2022)
After his trade to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Kikuchi's name was often displayed as "Kikuchi Yasu" on scoreboards and in reports to distinguish him from teammate Ryosuke Kikuchi, who shared the same surname.
In 2019, Kikuchi spent the entire season as a reliever with the first team, eventually being used as a setup pitcher in the latter part of the year. He made 58 appearances, the second-highest on the team, recording an earned run average of 2.80 and 15 holds.
On September 26, 2021, in a game against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Kikuchi achieved a rare "one-pitch win." Entering the game in the eighth inning with two outs, he faced Tyler Austin and retired him on the first pitch with a flyout. In the bottom of the ninth, the Carp offense, spurred by an RBI hit from Seiya Suzuki, took the lead. Closer Shota Kuribayashi then shut down the opposition in the bottom of the ninth, securing the win for Kikuchi. This marked the 45th instance in NPB history of a one-pitch win, and the second for the Carp that season, following Atsuya Zamami's achievement on September 9.
In 2022, Kikuchi made only eight appearances. On October 22, he was notified that he would be released by the team. He participated in the 12-team joint tryout on November 8, but no other teams extended an offer. Consequently, on November 24, he announced his retirement as a professional player and revealed his new role as a batting pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
1.3. Retirement and Post-Career
Yasunori Kikuchi concluded his professional playing career on November 24, 2022. Following his retirement, he accepted a position as a batting pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, the team with which he ended his playing days. This new role allows him to continue contributing to the sport he loves, assisting professional batters in honing their skills. He took on the uniform number 100 in this new capacity starting in 2023.
2. Player Profile
Yasunori Kikuchi is a right-handed pitcher known for his maximum fastball velocity of 93 mph (149 km/h) and a sharp fast slider. His pitching style often resulted in a high number of strikeouts, frequently approaching the number of innings he pitched. Pitching coach Yoshinori Sato once praised Kikuchi's fastball, stating that "the strength of the ball when it catches on his fingers is greater than even Masahiro Tanaka's."
Despite his potent fastball, Kikuchi's career was sometimes affected by control issues, leading to frequent walks and a tendency to self-destruct on days when his command was inconsistent. He also faced criticism regarding his mental fortitude. However, after joining the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Kikuchi developed a two-seam fastball, which allowed him to utilize the strike zone more effectively and further enhance the effectiveness of his powerful fastball.
Throughout his career, Kikuchi was known by several nicknames. While with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, he was often called "Kiku" (キクKikuJapanese). After his move to Hiroshima, due to the presence of teammate Ryosuke Kikuchi who also used the nickname "Kiku," he became more commonly referred to as "Tamotsu" (タモツTamotsuJapanese), derived from the Japanese pronunciation of his registered name "Kikuchi Yasu" (菊池保). He was also sometimes called "Kikuyasu" (キクヤスKikuyasuJapanese).
3. Career Information
This section provides structured data and supplementary details regarding Yasunori Kikuchi's professional baseball career, including his educational background, the professional teams he played for, significant career milestones, uniform numbers, walk-up music, and comprehensive annual statistics.
3.1. Schools Attended
- Daigo Town Yata Elementary School
- Daigo Town Daigo Junior High School
- Tokiwa University High School
3.2. Professional Teams
- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2008-2018)
- Hiroshima Toyo Carp (2019-2022)
3.3. Career Highlights and Records
Kikuchi achieved several significant milestones during his professional career, both as a pitcher and a batter, and notably recorded a rare one-pitch win.
3.3.1. Pitching Records
- First appearance, first start, first win, and first start win: September 23, 2010, against the Saitama Seibu Lions in their 22nd game of the season (at Seibu Dome), pitching 5 innings and allowing 2 runs.
- First strikeout: September 23, 2010, in the 1st inning against Takumi Kuriyama (swinging strikeout).
- First hold: August 9, 2017, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in their 14th game of the season (at Kobo Park Miyagi), entering as the third pitcher in the 7th inning, pitching 1/3 inning and allowing 1 run.
- First save: July 8, 2020, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in their 4th game of the season (at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima), entering as the third pitcher in the 9th inning and completing the game, pitching 1 scoreless inning.
3.3.2. Batting Records
- First at-bat: May 28, 2015, against the Hanshin Tigers in their 3rd game of the season (at Hanshin Koshien Stadium), in the 2nd inning, recording a sacrifice bunt off Mario Santiago.
- First hit: May 28, 2015, in the 4th inning against Mario Santiago, hitting a single to center field.
3.3.3. Other Records
- One-pitch win: September 26, 2021, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in their 21st game of the season (at Yokohama Stadium), entering as the sixth pitcher with 2 outs in the 8th inning, pitching 1/3 inning scoreless. This was the 44th player to achieve this feat (45th instance) in NPB history.
3.4. Uniform Numbers
- 59 (2008-2019)
- 39 (2020-2022)
- 100 (2023-) - As a batting pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
3.5. Walk-up Music
- "Mou Kimi ga Inai" (もう君がいないMou Kimi ga InaiJapanese) by FUNKY MONKEY BABYS (2009)
- "Wangan Highway" (湾岸 highwayWangan HighwayJapanese) by Shōnan no Kaze (2010-)
- "Nanika Hitotsu feat. JAY'ED & Wakadanna" (何かひとつ feat. JAY'ED & 若旦那Nanika Hitotsu feat. JAY'ED & WakadannaJapanese) by JAMOSA (2011)
- "Mukaikaze" (ムカイカゼMukaikazeJapanese) by HOME MADE Kazoku (2012)
- "REASON" by Yuzu (2014)
- "Hikari" (光りHikariJapanese) by BUZZ THE BEARS (2019)
- "High & High" by Fujifabric (2019)
3.6. Annual Statistics
Yasunori Kikuchi's career statistics are detailed below, providing a comprehensive overview of his performance as both a pitcher and a fielder across his 13 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball.
3.6.1. Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | No-Walk Games | W | L | SV | HLD | PCT | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rakuten | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 46 | 11.0 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4.09 | 1.09 |
| 2011 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 25 | 3.1 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 13.50 | 3.90 | |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 110 | 25.0 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 2.88 | 1.40 | |
| 2013 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .167 | 158 | 33.1 | 38 | 3 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 24 | 6.48 | 1.83 | |
| 2014 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .800 | 211 | 51.1 | 40 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 23 | 4.03 | 1.13 | |
| 2015 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .444 | 448 | 103.0 | 96 | 5 | 42 | 0 | 5 | 71 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 43 | 3.76 | 1.34 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 111 | 22.2 | 33 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 13 | 5.16 | 2.03 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .--- | 35 | 7.1 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 4.91 | 1.64 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .--- | 55 | 13.0 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1.38 | 1.15 | |
| 2019 | Hiroshima | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 15 | .250 | 240 | 61.0 | 39 | 4 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 19 | 2.80 | 1.02 |
| 2020 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1.000 | 189 | 42.0 | 41 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 53 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 21 | 4.50 | 1.43 | |
| 2021 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .667 | 140 | 31.2 | 31 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1.71 | 1.39 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ---- | 39 | 8.0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5.63 | 1.75 | |
| Totals: 13 years | 212 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 25 | .457 | 1807 | 412.2 | 389 | 39 | 181 | 5 | 22 | 331 | 30 | 0 | 200 | 178 | 3.88 | 1.38 | |
3.6.2. Fielding Statistics
| Year | Team | Pitcher | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | ||
| 2010 | Rakuten | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| 2012 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2013 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2014 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2015 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | .938 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .750 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| 2019 | Hiroshima | 58 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 |
| 2020 | 44 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | |
| 2021 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| Totals | 212 | 18 | 60 | 4 | 1 | .951 | |