Overview
- San Diego announced Hart’s return on a one-year contract for 2026 with a club option for 2027, marking the club’s first major-league signing of the offseason.
- Hart, 32, logged 20 appearances (six starts) for the Padres in 2025, going 3-3 with a 5.86 ERA across 43 innings with a 1.19 WHIP and a .233 opponents’ average.
- He opened 2025 as the No. 5 starter before moving to the bullpen for his final 14 outings, producing nine scoreless appearances and a 4.67 ERA in relief.
- At Petco Park he posted a 3.91 ERA with opponents hitting .169, and hitters managed a .132 average against his sweeper, his most-used pitch.
- Before returning to MLB, Hart starred for the KBO’s NC Dinos in 2024, winning the Choi Dong-won Award after leading the league with 182 strikeouts and recording a 2.69 ERA.