Remembering Yu Darvish's Legacy As He Contemplates Retirement

Even so, it appears more likely than not that Darvish has thrown his final innings in MLB. While there is some relief in the potential payroll flexibility his retirement could create, he deserves recognition for an incredible career.

Of his 13 seasons in the majors, Darvish spent five with the Padres - his longest and most eventful tenure with any organization. He also played 4½ seasons with the Rangers, three seasons with the Cubs and a brief stint with the Dodgers.

Darvish didn’t just leave a mark on the field in San Diego, but also built a life here with his family. He and his wife live in North County and plan to remain there after his playing career ends. His son starred at Cathedral Catholic High School and will stay in San Diego to play Division I baseball at UC San Diego.

He was equally committed to giving back. While much of his philanthropy has gone unpublicized, Darvish is known to have made significant donations to Ronald McDonald House Charities–San Diego, cancer research initiatives, charitable YouTube revenue efforts and holiday gift events for children.

On the field and in the clubhouse, Darvish earned a reputation matched by few pitchers to ever wear a Padres uniform. In an era when everyone wants to play in the bright lights of Los Angeles, Darvish - alongside fellow superstar Manny Machado - chose the calm beaches of San Diego.

After being acquired from the Cubs in 2020 for a package headlined by Owen Caissie, Darvish stayed through the end of his deal and signed a six-year, $108 million extension in 2023.

During that stretch, he added many accolades to his résumé. Darvish earned an All-Star selection in 2021, finished top-10 in Cy Young voting in 2022, and cemented himself as one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers in franchise history.

He ranks second in Padres history in strikeouts per nine innings (9.44) and eighth in total strikeouts with 683. Darvish achieved those numbers in a way that only he could - with a seven-pitch arsenal.

One of the saddest aspects of his potential retirement is that there will never be another pitcher like him. According to Statcast, Darvish consistently used seven different pitches at least 9% of the time. The skill and dedication required to master that many pitches at a professional level is remarkable. His usage broke down as follows:

Sinker — 20% (93.4 mph)
Curveball — 17% (71.1 mph)
Fastball — 16% (93.9 mph)
Slider — 15% (85.7 mph)
Cutter — 12% (90.8 mph)
Splitter — 11% (86.4 mph)
Sweeper — 9% (82.5 mph)

Most importantly, Darvish delivered when it mattered. While he didn’t win a championship with the Padres, his postseason performances were consistently setting the bar for the rest of the rotation. Across three playoff appearances, he made seven starts, posting a 3-3 record, a 2.95 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 39⅔ innings.

Had the Padres offense come through in the winner-take-all game against the Dodgers in the 2024 playoffs, Darvish’s seven-inning, two-run outing would be remembered as one of the greatest starts in franchise history. After already pitching well earlier in the series, few believed he could repeat that performance against a stacked Dodger lineup. Darvish proved otherwise.

His five seasons in San Diego weren’t flawless. There were disappointing team finishes, trade rumors and unmet championship expectations. Still, Darvish’s demeanor, entertaining repertoire and status as a Japanese baseball icon will forever be part of the Padres’ legacy.

If his MLB career is indeed coming to a close, Darvish appears intent on exiting in the most honorable way possible - by voiding the remainder of his contract and saving the Padres millions in payroll.

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