Yuki Matsui — 2026 Season

2026 Season Stats

Pitching stats and MLB-wide rank · 2026 Season

Stat	2026	MLB Rank
ERA	1.83	—
WHIP	1.14	—
W	5	—
L	1	—
K	68	—
IP	64.0	—
SV	1	—
GS	0	—

2026 Season Highlights

As of 10/1, Yuki Matsui is an active reliever on the San Diego Padres' roster. His results this season have clearly improved on last year, and he has done a good job limiting runs even though walks remain a part of his profile. He has worked exclusively out of the bullpen with no starts. A veteran of Nippon Professional Baseball's elite closer ranks, he joined the Padres in 2024.

Yuki Matsui joined the Padres in 2024 after recording 200+ career saves with the Rakuten Eagles in NPB. He hit the ground running in MLB, logging 60+ appearances in each of his first two seasons as a versatile reliever. His effectiveness against left-handed hitters makes him a valuable bullpen weapon, and in 2026, Matsui is targeting a permanent setup role for San Diego.

1His run prevention has improved considerably over last season, and he has been a steady presence out of the bullpen. He has also picked up more wins than a year ago, establishing himself as a reliable part of the relief corps.
2His strength is the ability to miss bats, built on a career as the Rakuten Eagles' closer, one of the most accomplished in NPB. Walks, however, remain an area to watch this season as well.
3With the season nearing its end, the key question is whether he can keep his walks in check while maintaining his current level of performance.

DETAIL · ANALYSIS

Detailed Analysis

In-depth metrics aggregated from every at-bat and pitch.

Data as of: 2026-11-08

Expand detailed analysis ▾

Recent Form (Last 10 Starts)

Older games on the left, most recent on the right. Color shows how they played. Regular season games only.

Best: 6IP+ / ≤1ER · Good: 5IP+ / ≤2ER · OK: 4IP+ / ≤3ER · 4ER · ≥5ER (blowup)

Pitch Arsenal

Current season pitch data by type. Velocity, spin rate, movement, whiff rate, and CSW% at a glance.

Pitch	Usage	Velo (mph)	Spin	H-Mvmt	V-Mvmt	Whiff%	CSW%
Four-Seam Fastball	39.5%	91.9	2,456	+3.4"	+11.3"	16.3%	25.9%
Slider	30.4%	84.9	2,732	-2.0"	+1.9"	32.6%	32.8%
Splitter	24.7%	83.4	1,171	+5.3"	+2.5"	44.7%	29.9%
Sinker	2.9%	90.9	2,141	+7.5"	+7.2"	15.4%	11.8%
Sweeper	2.6%	81.2	2,875	-7.0"	-1.7"	27.3%	20.0%

H-Mvmt/V-Mvmt (inch): movement vs. a spinless ball. + = toward 3B / up, − = toward 1B / down. Whiff% = whiffs / swings, CSW% = (called strikes + whiffs) / pitches.

Handedness & Home/Away Splits

Situational splits for the current season. See strengths and weaknesses by scenario.

vs Handedness

Split	OAVG	OOPS	HR	K	BB
vs RHB	.202	.738	5	30	23
vs LHB	.144	.466	2	38	13

Home / Away

Split	OAVG	OOPS	HR	K	BB
Home	.225	.779	7	25	12
Away	.122	.430	0	43	24

Year-over-Year Performance Trend

Career-long performance trends for every key stat. How does this year compare to history?

Season	G	IP	ERA	WHIP	K/9	BB/9	K
2024	64	62.2	3.73	1.16	9.91	3.88	69
2025	61	63.1	3.98	1.36	8.67	4.69	61
2026Now	54	64.0	1.83	1.14	9.56	5.06	68

Full Game Log (Pitching)

All 54 regular season games of 2026. Showing latest 10; click to expand.

Underlined dates and › open the game page (Dodgers games only)

Date	Opp	IP	H	ER	BB	K	ER/9
09/27	vs ARI	0.1	0	0	0	1	0.00
09/25	@ LAD	1.0	1	0	0	1	0.00
09/24	@ LAD	1.0	1	0	1	0	0.00
09/20	vs MIA	0.2	1	0	1	0	0.00
09/18	@ COL	1.0	0	0	0	2	0.00
09/17	@ COL	1.0	0	0	2	1	0.00
09/14	@ SF	1.0	1	0	0	1	0.00
09/12	@ SF	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.00
09/10	vs WSH	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.00
09/09	vs WSH	0.2	2	1	0	1	13.50

SHOW REMAINING 44 GAMES ▾

Date	Opp	IP	H	ER	BB	K	ER/9
09/05	vs NYY	1.0	1	0	0	1	0.00
09/02	@ CIN	1.0	0	0	1	2	0.00
08/31	@ TB	1.0	0	0	1	2	0.00
08/30	@ TB	1.0	0	0	1	1	0.00
08/27	vs PIT	0.2	1	0	0	2	0.00
08/25	vs PIT	1.0	0	0	1	2	0.00
08/24	vs MIN	1.0	1	0	0	1	0.00
08/20	@ NYM	0.2	1	0	0	0	0.00
08/17	@ CLE	1.0	0	0	1	2	0.00
08/15	@ CLE	1.0	0	0	1	0	0.00
08/11	vs MIL	1.0	0	0	0	1	0.00
08/08	vs HOU	2.0	1	1	1	0	4.50
08/04	@ ARI	1.1	1	0	1	2	0.00
08/01	vs SF	3.0	1	0	0	2	0.00
07/27	@ MIA	0.2	0	0	1	2	0.00
07/26	@ MIA	1.0	0	0	0	1	0.00
07/24	@ ATL	1.1	1	0	0	1	0.00
07/22	@ ATL	0.2	0	1	2	1	13.50
07/20	@ KC	2.0	0	0	0	3	0.00
07/12	vs TOR	0.2	0	2	1	0	27.00
07/10	vs ARI	1.0	1	1	2	0	9.00
07/08	vs ARI	0.1	2	0	0	1	0.00
07/06	@ LAD	0.2	0	0	2	0	0.00
07/03	@ LAD	1.0	2	2	2	1	18.00
06/29	vs LAD	1.2	1	0	0	2	0.00
06/27	vs LAD	0.2	1	0	1	0	0.00
06/24	vs ATL	2.1	3	1	1	3	3.86
06/22	@ TEX	1.0	0	0	1	1	0.00
06/20	@ TEX	1.2	1	0	1	3	0.00
06/17	@ STL	1.1	1	0	1	1	0.00
06/14	@ BAL	1.0	1	0	0	2	0.00
06/10	vs CIN	1.0	1	1	0	1	9.00
06/08	vs NYM	1.2	2	2	0	1	10.80
06/06	vs NYM	0.1	0	0	0	1	0.00
06/05	@ PHI	1.0	0	0	1	2	0.00
06/03	@ PHI	0.2	1	0	1	1	0.00
06/01	@ WSH	1.0	0	0	0	1	0.00
05/30	@ WSH	2.0	1	1	0	1	4.50
05/26	vs PHI	2.0	0	0	1	1	0.00
05/21	vs LAD	1.1	1	0	2	2	0.00
05/18	@ SEA	2.0	0	0	2	2	0.00
05/15	@ MIL	2.0	0	0	1	3	0.00
05/13	@ MIL	2.0	1	0	0	3	0.00
05/09	vs STL	2.2	3	0	1	2	0.00

Year-over-Year (2026 vs 2025)

Green = improvement, red = decline. "—" means no data in the same month last year.

Pitching

	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
ERA	-3.62	-5.20	-0.53	-2.83	-0.20
K	+8	+8	+6	+0	+4
WHIP	-0.63	-0.38	-0.12	-0.37	+0.09

AI · SEASON ANALYSIS

Yuki Matsui 2026 Season AI Analysis

Comprehensive 2026 season analysis generated by Claude AI from stats data (as of Sep 28, 2026).

Overview

Matsui's 2026 ERA of 1.83 sits well inside MLB's P90 threshold (2.53), placing him among the league's most effective relievers by results. WHIP (1.14) is more middling, landing between the P50 (1.18) and P75 (1.09) marks, and BB/9 (5.06) is far outside the P90 range (1.91), well below even the league average (2.75). The gap between an elite ERA and mediocre-to-poor peripheral marks (WHIP, BB/9) suggests his surface-level results are outperforming his underlying command metrics.

Strengths

The clearest gain from 2024-2025 is run prevention: ERA has dropped from the high-3s (3.73, 3.98) to 1.83, a substantial year-over-year improvement. Strikeout rate has also rebounded to 9.56 K/9, up from 8.67 in 2025 and close to his 2024 peak of 9.91. Across 54 games and 64 innings, he has maintained a workload comparable to prior seasons while allowing far fewer runs, indicating better sequencing and situational execution even where control has lagged.

Areas to Improve

Walk rate is the standout concern: 5.06 BB/9 is nearly double the league average (2.75) and far outside the P90 tier (1.91), representing a step back from both his own recent track record and league norms. WHIP at 1.14 is only average-to-slightly-above, reflecting that traffic on the bases remains a persistent issue despite the low ERA. This combination points to a pitcher who is missing more bats but also missing the zone more often, relying on stranding runners rather than limiting baserunners outright.

Looking Ahead

The disconnect between elite ERA and below-average control metrics is the key variable for the rest of the season. If the walk rate persists at this level, an ERA correction toward the peripherals (WHIP, BB/9) would be a reasonable expectation, since run-prevention outcomes this far ahead of command indicators are historically difficult to sustain over a full workload. Continued strikeout gains offer some cushion, but tightening control will likely determine whether the current results hold or regress toward his 2024-2025 baseline.

AI-generated content (Claude) · Based on stats as of Sep 28, 2026

Detailed Analysis

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Season Analysis

Season Progress

ERA

↓ Lower is better

WHIP

↓ Lower is better

Strikeouts

Wins

Monthly Stats

ERA

vs MLB Monthly Avg↓ Lower is better

WHIP

vs MLB Monthly Avg↓ Lower is better

Strikeouts

Wins

Season Analysis

Loading season chart…

Splits vs LHP / RHP

Season stats vs right-handed and left-handed batters

vs RHP/RHB

.202OPS .738 / HR 5

vs LHP/LHB

.144OPS .466 / HR 2

Metrics Deep Dive

MLB-wide percentile rank, defensive and pitching metric summaries, pitch-type stats, and batted-ball distribution.

Pitching — MLB-wide Standing

ERA ranks in the top 2% of MLB. K/9 and WHIP also rank in the top 41%, with no clear weak spot.

ERA1.83

WHIP1.14

strikeouts68

K/99.56

Bars show percentile rank among MLB-wide qualified players.

PITCHER · FIP

What is Yuki Matsui's FIP? 4.18 in 2026

FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) measures a pitcher's true skill using only home runs, walks, hit-by-pitches and strikeouts — outcomes the pitcher controls. By stripping out defense and luck, it tracks real ability more closely than ERA.

Yuki Matsui's 2026 FIP is 4.18, rated as "MLB average". That's 0.18 above the MLB average of about 4.00, leaving room to improve.

Compare with other Japanese pitchers in the FIP ranking

Pitch Type K% & BA Against

K% / BA-against / Whiff% by pitch type this season. K% is based on at-bats where each type was the strikeout pitch.

Pitch	Usage	K%	BAA	Whiff%
Four-Seam Fastball	39.5%	15.5%	.271	16.3%
Slider	30.4%	24.7%	.176	32.6%
Splitter	24.7%	42.3%	.286	44.7%
Sinker	2.9%	0.0%	.000	15.4%
Sweeper	2.6%	40.0%	—	27.3%

K%: rate of strikeouts among plate appearances where this pitch type was the final pitch. Whiff%: whiffs per swing. Types with fewer than 10 pitches excluded.

Splits by Batter Handedness

BA / OPS against and WHIP vs right-handed and left-handed batters this season. Spot weaknesses by batter type.

Split	BAA	OPS	WHIP	K	IP
vs RHB	.202	.738	1.55	30	27.2
vs LHB	.144	.466	0.83	38	36.0

Game Log

2026 Season Appearance Log

54 starts · 68 total strikeouts

Season Best K

Mon, Jul 20 @ KC

Season Debut

Sat, May 9 vs STL

2.2IP · 2K

Underlined dates and › open the game page (Dodgers games only)

Date	Opp	IP	K	HR	BB	Dec
9/27	vsARI	0.1	1	-	0	W
9/25	@LAD	1.0	1	-	0	W
9/24	@LAD	1.0	0	-	1	-
9/20	vsMIA	0.2	0	-	1	-
9/18	@COL	1.0	2	-	0	-
9/17	@COL	1.0	1	-	2	-
9/14	@SF	1.0	1	-	0	S
9/12	@SF	1.0	0	-	0	-
9/10	vsWSH	1.0	0	-	0	-
9/9	vsWSH	0.2	1	1	0	-
9/5	vsNYY	1.0	1	-	0	-
9/2	@CIN	1.0	2	-	1	-
8/31	@TB	1.0	2	-	1	-
8/30	@TB	1.0	1	-	1	-
8/27	vsPIT	0.2	2	-	0	-
8/25	vsPIT	1.0	2	-	1	-
8/24	vsMIN	1.0	1	-	0	-
8/20	@NYM	0.2	0	-	0	-
8/17	@CLE	1.0	2	-	1	-
8/15	@CLE	1.0	0	-	1	-
8/11	vsMIL	1.0	1	-	0	W
8/8	vsHOU	2.0	0	1	1	-
8/4	@ARI	1.1	2	-	1	-
8/1	vsSF	3.0	2	-	0	W
7/27	@MIA	0.2	2	-	1	-
7/26	@MIA	1.0	1	-	0	-
7/24	@ATL	1.1	1	-	0	-
7/22	@ATL	0.2	1	-	2	-
7/20	@KC	2.0	3	-	0	W
7/12	vsTOR	0.2	0	-	1	-
7/10	vsARI	1.0	0	1	2	-
7/8	vsARI	0.1	1	-	0	-
7/6	@LAD	0.2	0	-	2	-
7/3	@LAD	1.0	1	-	2	-
6/29	vsLAD	1.2	2	-	0	-
6/27	vsLAD	0.2	0	-	1	-
6/24	vsATL	2.1	3	1	1	-
6/22	@TEX	1.0	1	-	1	-
6/20	@TEX	1.2	3	-	1	-
6/17	@STL	1.1	1	-	1	-
6/14	@BAL	1.0	2	-	0	-
6/10	vsCIN	1.0	1	1	0	L
6/8	vsNYM	1.2	1	2	0	-
6/6	vsNYM	0.1	1	-	0	-
6/5	@PHI	1.0	2	-	1	-
6/3	@PHI	0.2	1	-	1	-
6/1	@WSH	1.0	1	-	0	-
5/30	@WSH	2.0	1	-	0	-
5/26	vsPHI	2.0	1	-	1	-
5/21	vsLAD	1.1	2	-	2	-
5/18	@SEA	2.0	2	-	2	-
5/15	@MIL	2.0	3	-	1	-
5/13	@MIL	2.0	3	-	0	-
5/9	vsSTL	2.2	2	-	1	-