Yuki Matsui

Yuki Matsui (松井 裕樹) 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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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

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

Playing style
Matsui is a 5 ft, 165 lbs left-handed pitcher. With an overhand delivery, he throws a fastball averaging 92 - 93 mph which tops out at 96 mph, a split-finger fastball, and a slider. The splitter is the best off-speed pitch in his arsenal.

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.