Hideki Matsui

Born: 6/12/1974 in Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan

MLB Debut: 2003-03-31 | Final Game: 2012-07-22

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 210 lbs

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Biography

Hideki Matsui, born in 1974, was a prominent Japanese baseball player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2003 to 2012. Known for his powerful hitting and clutch performances, Matsui played 1,236 games throughout his career, amassing 1,253 hits and 175 home runs, while driving in 760 runs with a career batting average of .282. His playing style combined a keen eye for the strike zone with a strong physical presence, making him a formidable force in the lineup. Matsui's journey to the MLB was particularly notable as he was one of the first Japanese players to achieve widespread success in the league, contributing to the growing interest in baseball in Japan. Matsui's accolades include being named the World Series MVP, highlighting his pivotal role in the 2009 championship run with the New York Yankees, where he delivered memorable performances on the sport's biggest stage. He was selected as an All-Star twice during his career, further solidifying his status as one of the elite players of his era. Though he finished his career with 13 stolen bases, it was his ability to drive in runs and deliver in high-pressure situations that defined his legacy. Matsui remains a beloved figure in baseball, bridging cultures and inspiring future generations of players.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1236	4442	656	1253	249	12	175	760	13	547	689	0.282	0.360	0.462	0.822	9862.3

Career AVG .282 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +7.4% above league average.

Career OBP .360 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — +9.1% above league average.

Career SLG .462 vs. league average .416 across their career seasons — +10.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.822 vs. league average 0.747 across their career seasons — +10.1% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
2003	NYY	AL	163	623	82	179	42	1	16	106	2	63	86	0.287	.264 (+9%)	.332 (+6%)	.422 (+3%)	.754 (+4%)	618.6
2004	NYY	AL	162	584	109	174	34	2	31	108	3	88	103	0.298	.266 (+12%)	.335 (+16%)	.427 (+22%)	.762 (+20%)	2654.9
2005	NYY	AL	162	629	108	192	45	3	23	116	2	63	78	0.305	.264 (+15%)	.330 (+11%)	.418 (+18%)	.749 (+15%)	2002.6
2006	NYY	AL	51	172	32	52	9	0	8	29	1	27	23	0.302	.269 (+12%)	.336 (+17%)	.431 (+14%)	.768 (+15%)	549.6
2007	NYY	AL	143	547	100	156	28	4	25	103	4	73	73	0.285	.268 (+6%)	.335 (+9%)	.422 (+15%)	.758 (+13%)	1477.4
2008	NYY	AL	93	337	43	99	17	0	9	45	0	38	47	0.294	.263 (+11%)	.333 (+11%)	.416 (+2%)	.749 (+6%)	514.0
2009	NYY	AL	142	456	62	125	21	1	28	90	0	64	75	0.274	.262 (+4%)	.332 (+10%)	.417 (+22%)	.750 (+17%)	1675.7
2010	LAA	AL	145	482	55	132	24	1	21	84	0	67	98	0.274	.257 (+6%)	.325 (+11%)	.402 (+14%)	.728 (+13%)	1337.5
2011	OAK	AL	141	517	58	130	28	0	12	72	1	56	84	0.251	.255 (-1%)	.320 (avg)	.399 (-6%)	.719 (-3%)	-331.7
2012	TBR	AL	34	95	7	14	1	0	2	7	0	8	22	0.147	.254 (-42%)	.318 (-33%)	.405 (-45%)	.724 (-40%)	-636.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
56	205	32	64	15	1	10	39	27	33	0.312

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2009	ALCS	NYA	6	21	1	5	1	0	0	3	5	4	0.238
2009	ALDS1	NYA	3	9	1	2	0	0	1	2	3	3	0.222
2009	WS	NYA	6	13	3	8	1	0	3	8	1	3	0.615
2007	ALDS2	NYA	4	11	4	2	0	0	0	0	5	2	0.182
2006	ALDS1	NYA	4	16	1	4	1	0	0	1	0	2	0.250
2005	ALDS2	NYA	5	20	4	4	1	0	1	1	2	3	0.200
2004	ALCS	NYA	7	34	9	14	6	1	2	10	2	4	0.412
2004	ALDS2	NYA	4	17	3	7	1	0	1	3	3	4	0.412
2003	ALCS	NYA	7	26	3	8	3	0	0	4	1	3	0.308
2003	ALDS1	NYA	4	15	2	4	1	0	1	3	2	3	0.267
2003	WS	NYA	6	23	1	6	0	0	1	4	3	2	0.261

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	692	686	1326	41	24	11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2003	NYA	OF	159	156	320	13	8	4
2004	NYA	OF	160	162	307	8	7	2
2005	NYA	OF	142	142	279	7	3	1
2006	NYA	OF	36	36	82	1	1	1
2007	NYA	OF	112	111	213	6	3	0
2008	NYA	OF	23	22	42	2	1	1
2010	LAA	OF	18	17	16	1	0	0
2011	OAK	OF	27	27	53	3	1	2
2012	TBA	OF	15	13	14	0	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Left Field	616
Center Field	77
Right Field	13
Designated Hitter	493

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
2011	Player of the Week	Week of 2011-07-24
2009	World Series MVP
2007	Player of the Month	July
2005	Player of the Week	Week of 2005-06-19
2004	Player of the Week	Week of 2004-05-29
2003	Player of the Week	Week of 2003-06-28
2003	Rookie of the Month	June

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
2011	OAK	AL	$4,250,000
2010	LAA	AL	$6,000,000
2009	NYA	AL	$13,000,000
2008	NYA	AL	$13,000,000
2007	NYA	AL	$13,000,000
2006	NYA	AL	$13,000,000
2005	NYA	AL	$8,000,000
2004	NYA	AL	$7,000,000
2003	NYA	AL	$6,000,000
Total Career Earnings			$83,250,000