Kazuo Matsui
| AB | 2302 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .267 |
| OBP | .321 |
| SLG | .38 |
| HR | 32 |
- Full name Kazuo Matsui
- Born 10/23/1975 in Osaka, Japan
- Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 187 / Bats: S / Throws: R
- School PL Gauken
- Debut 04/06/2004
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
He doesn't have the teen-idol quality of Ichiro Suzuki or the admiration of his entire country nation like Hideki Matsui, but Kazuo Matsui has always had flair. Between his often-changing hair color, his blazing speed and his flashy glovework, the latest high-profile Japanese import arrives in the United States with nearly as much fanfare as Hideki Matsui (no relation) brought to New York a year ago. Coveted by several big league teams, he became a free agent and signed a three-year, $20.1 million contract with the Mets that included a $100,000 signing bonus and annual salaries of $5 million, $7 million and $8 million. Selected third overall in 1993 in the Japan draft as a pitcher by the Seibu Lions, he quickly converted to shortstop and made his Japanese big league debut at age 20, two years later. The following year, he learned how to switch-hit as on-the-job training in the majors. Matsui broke in as a speedy slap hitter and blossomed into a power threat after maturing physically and training with weights. His list of awards is lengthy: seven all-star selections, four Gold Gloves, three stolen-base crowns, one Pacific League MVP award (1998). He set a PL record by playing in 1,143 consecutive games, and fans voted him Japan's best shortstop of the 20th century. Matsui raised his profile with U.S. scouts when he hit .423 against a team of U.S. major leaguers during a 2002 exhibition series. He homered from both sides of the plate in one game, going deep against Miguel Batista and Scott Schoeneweis. Matsui has been compared with all of the best shortstops in the majors, and the most apt may be Rafael Furcal. Though Matsui was a 30-30 player in Japan, the Mets would view any homers as a bonus. He's more likely to show off his Ichiro-esque speed and is expected to bat in one of the first two spots in New York's lineup. That said, he is stronger than Ichiro and doesn't use Ichiro's slap-hitting approach. Matsui's solid on-base percentages in Japan were based more on his high batting averages than on his ability to draw walks. As his power numbers grew, so did his strikeouts, and there's concern that he might struggle making contact in his first year in the States. There are fewer worries about his glove. One Pacific Rim scout predicted that Matsui immediately will become the best defensive shortstop in the game, while a second compared him to Omar Vizquel. The consensus is that Matsui has good range, smooth hands and a plus arm. Another scout said he worries a little about Matsui's arm strength and range, because he played shallow and was more rigid than a classic shortstop in Japan. But he's in the minority. Matsui should be one of the better shortstops in the National League, and the Mets believe he's good enough to force Jose Reyes, baseball's best young shortstop, to second base.
