"I Want to Keep That Promise"…Matsui Hideki, 507 Home Runs, Set to Take Over as Yomiuri Manager

Japanese media reported that Matsui Hideki (52), who hit 507 home runs across Japan and the U.S., will take over as Yomiuri manager. An introductory press conference is scheduled for the afternoon of the 23rd, and his lack of managerial experience is being raised as an issue ahead of it.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

507 is the number of home runs Matsui Hideki hit over 20 seasons in Japan and the United States. The owner of that number is set to become manager of the Yomiuri Giants. On the 23rd, NHK, along with Nikkei, Jiji Press, and Nikkan Sports, reported the news citing sources. He is returning to the club he left after the 2002 season after 24 years. Counting to the 2027 season, when he wears the uniform, it will be 25 years.

Matsui career: 507 home runs, 332 in NPB and 175 in MLB

The story starts with the autumn 1992 draft. Drafted first overall, Matsui debuted in 1993 and hit 332 home runs over 10 seasons through 2002. His three Central League MVP awards and three home run and RBI titles each came during this period. According to ESPN, his first contract when he signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent in 2003 was three years for $21 million.

Matsui Hideki career stats by league

Category	Seasons	Home runs	RBI	Batting average
Yomiuri (NPB)	1993~2002	332	889	.304
MLB	2003~2012	175	760	.282
Japan-US total	20 seasons	507	1,649	.293

The peak of his career in the United States was 2009. According to Jiji Press, the World Series MVP that year was the first ever won by a Japanese player. Looking at the table, his batting average fell 0.022, from .304 to .282. Combined Japan-US total 507 home runs is not an official NPB record but a reference figure. By Baseball Channel's count, it is 3 fewer than 6th-place Ochiai Hiromitsu and 3 more than the joint 7th place.

NPB all-time career home run rankings and Matsui (reference)

Rank	Name	Home runs	Notes
1	Oh Sadaharu	868	Yomiuri
2	Nomura Katsuya	657	Nankai, etc.
3	Kadota Hiromitsu	567	Nankai, etc.
4	Yamamoto Koji	536	Hiroshima
5	Kiyohara Kazuhiro	525	Seibu, Yomiuri, etc.
6	Ochiai Hiromitsu	510	Lotte, Chunichi, Yomiuri, etc.
Reference	Matsui Hideki	507	NPB 332 + MLB 175, not an official ranking
Tied 7th	Harimoto Isao	504	—
Tied 7th	Kinugasa Sachio	504	Hiroshima

14 years since retiring in 2012, 0 managerial stints

Matsui retired after his final contract, a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012. Nikkei noted that he had never managed since then. In the interim, he served as a temporary coach at the Yomiuri spring training camp five times starting in 2014, and his most recent title was special adviser to the Yankees general manager. After paying respects to Nagashima Shigeo in June 2025, he said, "I want to keep the promise I made while he was alive."

150 days since Abe's resignation: how the Yomiuri manager post became vacant

The manager's position was thrown into doubt on the night of May 25, 2026. Kōkō Yakyū Dotcom reported that former manager Abe Shinnosuke was arrested in flagrante by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter. His resignation was announced the next day, and offensive coordinator Hashigami Hideki took over as acting manager.

Under acting management, Yomiuri finished the regular season in second place in the league. However, on October 11 they lost to DeNA in the Climax Series First Stage, ending their playoff run, and Hashigami also stepped down as acting manager. The draft on the 22nd was held without a manager. The time from the resignation announcement on May 26 to the report on the 23rd is 150 days.

Matsui's manager introduction press conference on the afternoon of the 23rd: 4 key issues

The press conference is scheduled for the afternoon of the 23rd at a hotel in central Tokyo, and reports say Yomiuri owner Yamaguchi Toshikazu will attend. The exact time has not been confirmed. Outlets describe it differently: NHK and Nikkei used 'scheduled to take over,' while Nikkan Sports wrote 'decided.' I could not confirm the official team announcement text (as of 13:23 Japan time, October 23, 2026).

What to watch for at the press conference

[ ] Contract length and salary — not in any reports checked
[ ] Whether the content of the 'promise made while he was alive' with Nagashima will be disclosed
[ ] Uniform number — whether he will wear No. 55 again, as he did as a player
[ ] Coaching staff setup and persuading first-round draft pick Oda Shoki (18)

Outlooks differ by outlet. Sankei Sports reported the aim is a league title for the first time in three years and the first Japan Series title since 2012. Chunichi Sports predicted Matsui would step in to persuade Oda Shoki, who has declared he will go directly to MLB. Before the appointment, in August, OSEN cited Japanese local opinion and reported an assessment that, having no coaching experience, he was not adequately prepared.

A legend with 0 managerial experience takes over the team that finished second in the league. Nagashima's words, as quoted by Sankei Sports, were: "Someday, you should do it."

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is Matsui Hideki's contract length and annual salary as manager?

As of 13:23 Japan time on October 23, 2026, none of the reports checked covered the contract length or salary. It needs to be confirmed whether they will be announced at the afternoon press conference.

Q. Is Matsui's 507 home runs an official NPB record?

It is not an official NPB career record. It is a reference figure combining the 332 home runs hit with Yomiuri and the 175 hit in the majors. Measured against NPB career rankings, it would be around 7th place.

Q. Why did Yomiuri change managers during the season?

Former manager Abe Shinnosuke was arrested in flagrante on May 25, 2026, on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter, and resigned on the 26th. Acting manager Hashigami Hideki then led the team to second place in the league.

Related official sites

Yomiuri Giants official website — check the official announcement of the new manager and press conference details
NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) official website — Japan Series schedule and official league records
NPB official all-time records — career home runs — Raw data on NPB career home run rankings, including retired players

Representative image · archival photo · not an on-site photo of the current game in the article · photo composite · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Keith Allison), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Edomura no Tokuzo), CC BY-SA 4.0