Kyle Hart DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Kyle Hart picked up his first win of the season in Monday's 7-2 win over the Guardians. Hart pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits (including two home runs) and a walk with four strikeouts. Monday's outing was the first big-league appearance for the 32-year-old since 2020, as he spent last season pitching in the KBO League. Hart pitched well in Korea, earning the equivalent of the Cy Young Award, and made the best of his initial rotation opportunity with the Padres. He may be trending in the right direction, but fantasy managers may need to see a bit more before being convinced. They likely have the luxury of waiting to see at least another start from Hart, as he is rostered in just one percent of leagues. His next start will be a middling matchup at the Cubs.

San Diego Padres left-hander Kyle Hart will open the year as the team's No. 5 starting pitcher, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. Hart opened spring training with the Friars competing with right-handers Randy Vasquez and Stephen Kolek for the fifth rotation spot, but an extra spot opened up with Yu Darvish (elbow) opening the year on the injured list. Kolek was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Monday. The 32-year-old southpaw is making his return to the big leagues for the first time since 2020, when he made three starts for the Red Sox. He had a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 28.8% strikeout rate an 6.0% walk rate in the Korean league in 2024 but will now be facing much better competition. Hart will have to pitch much better than he did in two spring starts (eight earned runs allowed in 7 2/3 innings) to stick around at the back end of SD's starting rotation. He's a stash candidate in NL-only formats for now.

Free-agent left-hander Kyle Hart agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal with the San Diego Padres on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the deal. The deal also includes a $5 million club option for the 2026 season that comes with a $500,000 buyout. His 2026 salary can reach $7.5 million based on escalators for games started. Desperate for additional starting pitching, the Padres added right-hander Nick Pivetta to a four-year, $55 million deal on Wednesday night and then added Hart. The 32-year-old southpaw made his big-league debut with the Boston Red Sox back in 2020 but struggled in four outings (three starts). He'll now return to the U.S. after posting a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 182 K's and 38 walks in 157 innings in the Korean Baseball Organization last year. Hart will be competing with Matt Waldron and Randy Vasquez for the No. 5 rotation spot in SD this spring.