Yankees Tee Off on Angels Starter Kikuchi in Series Opener

New York looks to snap 5-game skid against struggling L.A. pitcher

Apr. 13, 2026 at 5:34pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game in motion, with overlapping planes of color and shape representing the players, field, and action.The Yankees' offense looks to break out of its slump by tee-ing off on Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi in the series opener.NYC Today

The New York Yankees will look to end their recent five-game losing streak when they open a series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, April 13. The Yankees are expected to have success against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi, who has struggled with his fastball and has a poor track record against many Yankees hitters.

Why it matters

The Yankees' offense has been sputtering lately, so a favorable pitching matchup against Kikuchi could be just what they need to get back on track. A Yankees win would help them stay within striking distance in the AL East race, while a loss would further extend their skid.

The details

Yankees hitters have historically crushed Kikuchi, with first baseman Ben Rice posting a .476 expected wOBA and 75% hard-hit rate in 35 career plate appearances against the left-hander. Kikuchi's bottom-8th percentile fastball run value indicates his primary pitch is getting hit hard, which plays right into the Yankees' strengths as one of the league's best teams at avoiding chasing pitches out of the zone.

  • The Yankees and Angels open a 3-game series on Monday, April 13 at Yankee Stadium.
  • First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.

The players

Yusei Kikuchi

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher with a 6.75 ERA through his first two starts of the 2026 season.

Will Warren

New York Yankees starting pitcher, who has a 3.07 ERA through his first two starts.

Ben Rice

New York Yankees first baseman who has had significant success against Kikuchi in his career.

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What they’re saying

“Kikuchi's Bottom 8th-percentile fastball run value means his primary pitch is getting crushed, and the Yankees rank among the league's best in chase rate suppression, meaning they will lay off the off-speed stuff and sit on the heater.”

— Chris Hatfield, Covers.com Analyst

What’s next

The Yankees will look to build on a convincing win in the series opener when the two teams meet again on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The takeaway

This game represents a prime opportunity for the Yankees' struggling offense to get back on track against a pitcher they've historically had success against. If the Yankees can take care of business, it could be a much-needed confidence boost as they look to climb back into the AL East race.