Yuki Matsui

Yuki Matsui
Yuki Matsui
	Matsui with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
San Diego Padres – No. 1
	Pitcher
	Born: October 30, 1995 (age 28); Aoba-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
	Bats: Left Throws: Left
Professional debut
	NPB: April 2, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
	MLB: March 20, 2024, for the San Diego Padres
NPB statistics ; (through 2023 season)
Win–loss record	25-46
Earned run average	2.40
Strikeouts	860
Saves	236
MLB statistics ; (through June 29, 2024)
Win–loss record	3–2
Earned run average	3.50
Strikeouts	33
Teams
	Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2014–2023); San Diego Padres (2024–present);
Career highlights and awards
	5× NPB All-Star (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022); 3× Pacific League Saves Champion (2019, 2022, 2023);
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing Japan
World Baseball Classic
18U Baseball World Cup
2015 WBSC Premier12

Yuki Matsui (松井裕樹, Matsui Yūki, born October 30, 1995) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from 2014 to 2023.

Career

Amateur career

As a pitcher for Toko Gakuen High School, he won a 7–0 victory against Imabari-Nishi high school where he racked up 22 strikeouts.^[1] Later on, he struck out 19 batters at Koshien Stadium and won a 7–5 game over Joso Gakuin. He also struck out the same amount in 2005, which ranked him along with Yoshinori Toda in 1963.^[2]

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

In October 2013, five Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams selected Matsui in the 2013 NPB draft. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles winning the rights to negotiate with him.^[3] Matsui signed with the Golden Eagles and made his NPB debut on April 2, 2014; his team scored 7–1 against Orix Buffaloes even though he made only three runs.^[4]

On October 11, 2023, Matsui had exercised his international free agent rights to be released from the Golden Eagles to seek a Major League Baseball contract.^[5]

San Diego Padres

On December 23, 2023, Matsui signed a five-year contract worth $28 million guaranteed with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.^[6]^[7] The contract included an opt out after both the third and fourth seasons and an injury clause which would change the fifth and final year of the contract into a $7 million club option in the case of Matsui suffering a "serious elbow injury" during the length of the deal.^[8]^[9]

International career

Matsui was selected Japan national baseball team at the 2013 18U Baseball World Cup, 2015 exhibition games against Europe, 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2017 World Baseball Classic, and 2023 World Baseball Classic.^[10]

On October 10, 2018, Matsui was selected at the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.^[11]

Matsui was selected at the 2019 WBSC Premier12^[12] but on October 21, it was announced that he would not participate due to left elbow discomfort.^[13]

Playing style

Matsui is a 5-foot-8-inch (1.73 m), 165-pound (75 kg) left-handed pitcher.^[14] With an overhand delivery, he throws a fastball averaging 92–93 miles per hour (148–150 km/h) which tops out at 96 miles per hour (154 km/h),^[15]^[16] a split-finger fastball, and a slider.^[17] The splitter is the best off-speed pitch in his arsenal.^[8]

Private life

Matsui married actress Anna Ishibashi in 2018. In May 2020, they announced the birth of their first child, a daughter, and on October 14, 2022, Ishibashi gave birth to the couple's second child, a son. ^[18]