Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
Yuki Matsui
The Padres signed
Matsui to a five-year, $28 million deal heading into the 2024 season after the left-hander became an international free agent. He was the first free agent they signed that offseason to bolster their pitching staff after dealing away superstar Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Matsui gave them modest results in 2024 and ‘25, posting sub-4.00 ERAs over 60-plus innings in both years.
Overall Grade: A+
He took that to new heights in 2026. Matsui posted a blistering 1.83 ERA and .171 opponent batting average across 64 innings of work. Since coming over from Japan, Matsui has struggled with command (1.22 career WHIP). In spite of that, he managed to work out of jams in 2026, regularly recording outs in key situations. Matsui was especially dominant down the stretch with a 1.42 ERA in his final 30 appearances and a 0.68 ERA in his last 15 outings.
Some of that may have been due to luck. Matsui’s expected ERA (3.03) was more than a full run above his actual mark (1.83). However, his expected opponent batting average (.170) was almost the exact same as his actual, so it’s hard to make heads or tells of it. Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is a metric used to determine how dominant a pitcher is on his own (using homers, walks, hit-by-pitches and strikeouts). Essentially, it measures how good a pitcher is without his defense. Matsui’s 4.18 FIP isn’t exactly sterling, so the defense may have had something to do with it.
All that said, his season with the Friars was incredible. Matsui surprised just about everyone by being one of the most dominant left-handed relievers in the game. He was even better than his teammate Adrian Morejon (though he certainly doesn’t have the same track record as Morejon). Matsui decided earlier this week to remain with the Padres for the 2027 season, choosing not to exercise his opt-out. He’ll fill an important role in the Padres’ bullpen with the potential departures of Morejon and Jason Adam on the rise.
