Kazuo Matsui
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2004-2010)
Kazuo Matsui was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2010 for the New York Mets, the Colorado Rockies, and the Houston Astros, a span of 7 seasons. In 630 career games, he hit .267 with 615 hits, 32 home runs, and 211 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 187 lb
- MLB Debut
- 2004-04-06
- Last Game
- 2010-05-18
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 630 | 2,302 | 330 | 615 | 124 | 20 | 32 | 211 | 102 | 179 | 403 | .267 | .321 | .380 | .701 | -2,768 |
Career AVG .267 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .321 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .380 vs. league average .420 across their career seasons — 9.4% below league average.
Career OPS .701 vs. league average .753 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | NYN | NL | 114 | 460 | 65 | 125 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 44 | 14 | 40 | 97 | .272 | .266 (+2%) | .335 (-1%) | .427 (-8%) | .762 (-5%) | -357.6 |
| 2005 | NYN | NL | 87 | 267 | 31 | 68 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 6 | 14 | 43 | .255 | .264 (-4%) | .330 (-9%) | .418 (-16%) | .749 (-13%) | -603.1 |
| 2006 | NYN | NL | 38 | 130 | 10 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 19 | .200 | .269 (-26%) | .336 (-30%) | .431 (-38%) | .768 (-34%) | -754.0 |
| 2006 | COL | NL | 32 | 113 | 22 | 39 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 8 | 10 | 27 | .345 | .269 (+28%) | .336 (+16%) | .431 (+17%) | .768 (+17%) | -754.0 |
| 2007 | COL | NL | 104 | 410 | 84 | 118 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 32 | 34 | 69 | .288 | .268 (+7%) | .335 (+2%) | .422 (-4%) | .758 (-2%) | -114.1 |
| 2008 | HOU | NL | 96 | 375 | 58 | 110 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 20 | 37 | 53 | .293 | .263 (+11%) | .333 (+6%) | .416 (+3%) | .749 (+4%) | 304.8 |
| 2009 | HOU | NL | 132 | 476 | 56 | 119 | 20 | 2 | 9 | 46 | 19 | 34 | 85 | .250 | .262 (-5%) | .332 (-9%) | .417 (-15%) | .750 (-12%) | -984.8 |
| 2010 | HOU | NL | 27 | 71 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | .141 | .257 (-45%) | .325 (-39%) | .402 (-62%) | .728 (-52%) | -578.9 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 630 | 2,302 | 330 | 615 | 124 | 20 | 32 | 211 | 102 | 179 | 403 | .267 | — | — | — | — | -3,842 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (629 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 308 | 1083 | 173 | 300 | 18 | 121 | .277 |
| Away | 321 | 1213 | 155 | 313 | 14 | 89 | .258 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-05-18 | HOU | LAD | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-05-16 | HOU | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-05-15 | HOU | SFG | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-05-13 | HOU | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-05-11 | HOU | STL | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-05-09 | HOU | SDP | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-05-08 | HOU | SDP | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-05-07 | HOU | SDP | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-05-06 | HOU | AZ | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-05-05 | HOU | AZ | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 473 | 454 | 942 | 1312 | 36 | 335 |
| SS | 113 | 111 | 178 | 324 | 23 | 66 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | NYN | 2B | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| 2004 | NYN | SS | 110 | 108 | 174 | 323 | 23 | 65 |
| 2005 | NYN | 2B | 71 | 64 | 107 | 187 | 9 | 32 |
| 2006 | NYN | 2B | 31 | 30 | 72 | 85 | 1 | 23 |
| 2006 | COL | 2B | 21 | 21 | 48 | 73 | 2 | 26 |
| 2006 | COL | SS | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 | COL | 2B | 102 | 96 | 200 | 311 | 4 | 84 |
| 2008 | HOU | 2B | 94 | 94 | 190 | 219 | 12 | 56 |
| 2009 | HOU | 2B | 130 | 127 | 279 | 373 | 6 | 99 |
| 2010 | HOU | 2B | 21 | 19 | 42 | 56 | 1 | 12 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 473 |
| Shortstop | 113 |
Salary History
Kazuo Matsui's recorded salaries total $38,099,999 over 7 seasons, 2004 to 2010. Matsui's career, 2004 to 2010, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | HOU | NL | $5,500,000 |
| 2009 | HOU | NL | $5,500,000 |
| 2008 | HOU | NL | $5,500,000 |
| 2007 | COL | NL | $1,500,000 |
| 2006 | NYN | NL | $8,033,333 |
| 2005 | NYN | NL | $7,033,333 |
| 2004 | NYN | NL | $5,033,333 |
| Total recorded salary | $38,099,999 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 6th | 1.0 | 160 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Kazuo Matsui (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Kazuo Matsui: the record in brief
Kazuo Matsui's major league career runs from a debut on April 6, 2004 to a final game on May 18, 2010. The season rows list, in order, the New York Mets (2004 through 2006), the Colorado Rockies (2006 to 2007), and the Houston Astros (2008 to 2010). Matsui is listed as a second baseman at 187 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. Matsui switch-hit and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Matsui was born on October 23, 1975, in Osaka, Osaka, Japan.
The batting record for Matsui: 630 games, 615 hits in 2,302 at bats, and a .267 average, adding 32 homers, 211 runs batted in, and 102 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .321 and the slugging percentage .380, for an OPS of .701. Matsui hit .267 while the league hit .265 over the same span, a figure close to average. No season topped the 125 hits of 2004. 2007 brought a season-best 32 stolen bases. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .293 in 2008, 11% above that year's league mark of .263.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kazuo Matsui
- What years did Kazuo Matsui play?
- Kazuo Matsui played in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2010.
- Was Kazuo Matsui a pitcher?
- No. Kazuo Matsui was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Kazuo Matsui hit?
- Kazuo Matsui hit 32 career home runs with 615 hits.
- What teams did Kazuo Matsui play for?
- Kazuo Matsui played for 3 teams: the New York Mets (2004–2006), the Colorado Rockies (2006–2007), and the Houston Astros (2008–2010).
- What were Kazuo Matsui's career stats?
- In 630 games, Kazuo Matsui had 615 hits, 32 home runs, 211 RBI, 330 runs, and 102 stolen bases, with a .267 batting average.
- How much did Kazuo Matsui earn in his career?
- Kazuo Matsui's recorded salaries total $38,099,999 over 7 seasons, 2004 to 2010. Matsui's career, 2004 to 2010, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
- What was Kazuo Matsui's salary?
- Kazuo Matsui's last recorded salary was $5,500,000, in 2010. His highest recorded salary was $8,033,333, in 2006, and his lowest was $1,500,000, in 2007. The Salary History table lists each season from 2004 to 2010.
- What position did Kazuo Matsui play?
- Kazuo Matsui played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Kazuo Matsui and how much did he weigh?
- Kazuo Matsui was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 187 pounds.
- How many home runs did Kazuo Matsui hit each season?
- Kazuo Matsui's home runs by season: 7 in 2004, 3 in 2005, 3 in 2006, 4 in 2007, 6 in 2008, 9 in 2009, and 0 in 2010. His most in one season was 9, in 2009.
- What was Kazuo Matsui's career batting average?
- Kazuo Matsui batted .267 over his career, with 615 hits in 2,302 at bats.
- How many RBI did Kazuo Matsui have?
- Kazuo Matsui drove in 211 runs in his career.
- Is Kazuo Matsui in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Kazuo Matsui has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.