National treasure David Laurila talks to former Harvard and major league pitcher Frank Herrmann. Herrmann saw Kohei Arihara up close:

“He’s a big bodied pitcher with a slightly above average fastball,” said Herrmann, who plays for the rival Chiba Lotte Marines. “Two years ago his split-finger was a plus pitch, but he didn’t use it nearly as much last season when he featured an average changeup. He holds his velocity (92-95) well, even as he gets over the 100 pitch mark. He would benefit by pitching off his fastball more as he tends to get, unnecessarily, off-speed heavy at times.  I think he projects as a 4/5 starter type that can give you innings and the occasional dominant start.  I’ve just seen him be pretty inconsistent in my four years playing against him, as he tends to trade good months and bad months.”

FanGraphs.com

I do wonder if the Rangers see something in Arihara that they can improve. Texas did bring Lance Lynn back to dominance. If it’s better pitch selection or improved spin rates, there might be a way make the good months more frequent than the bad months.