Toronto Blue Jays fans react to report that Yusei Kikuchi made the team's starting rotation: "Just hope it's a fresh start and he doesn't regress"

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi has been dominant in the spring. The lefty has thrown in six games, compiling a 1.0 ERA in 18 innings pitched and 25 strikeouts.

He pitched so well that the Blue Jays announced that he would make the team's starting rotation to begin the season. His performance on Thursday most likely sealed the deal. He struck out nine in five scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins.

Kikuchi didn't perform particularly well in his first season with the Blue Jays last year. He held a 5.19 ERA in just over 100 innings pitched. He hit a career-high nine batters that year.

A short leash will likely be on Kikuchi all season long. He'll have to perform to keep his spot in the rotation intact.

Toronto Blue Jays fans can't complain that Kikuchi cracked the starting rotation. He earned it with the spring training he has had.

Seeing how Kikuchi holds up in the regular season will be interesting. The Blue Jays will need him to shut down teams to have a chance at raising the American League East title at the end of the season.

Will the new dimensions at the Rogers Centre help the Toronto Blue Jays?

The Toronto Blue Jays will come into the season with new outfield dimensions in their home ballpark. The left field wall has moved up seven feet, and the right field wall has moved up 16 feet. The new dimensions called for some left-handed bats for a heavily right-handed lineup.

The team signed Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier and Brandon Belt to help balance out the lineup. All three hitters are left-handed batters who could see a surge in their offensive numbers with new dimensions in right field.

They'll need all the offensive help they can get to stand toe-to-toe with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. The American League East is one of baseball's most grueling divisions.

The Toronto Blue Jays kick off the season on Thursday on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals. Alex Manoah will be the team's opening day starter.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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