Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres' 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
Kyle Hart is a tough nut to crack. Prior to 2025, his big-league career was limited to just four games (three starts) with the Boston Red Sox. He spent the remainder of his career in the minor leagues with a short stint in the KBO. That year with the NC Dinos revitalized his career. Hart won the Choi Dong-won Award in 2024 (KBO's equivalent of the Cy Young award) with a 2.69 ERA over 157 innings. That led to the Padres signing him to a one-year deal in 2025. He was mostly solid but couldn't hack it as a full-fledged starting pitcher, eventually becoming a bulk reliever for the club.
His solid production as a bulk reliever in 2025 led to San Diego re-signing Hart ahead of the 2026 season. That includes a $2.5 million club option for 2027 that the Friars seem likely to exercise. If nothing else, Hart covers innings well. He's not elite by any means, but he can eat innings and has shown flashes of dominance throughout his tenure with San Diego.
Hart did improve markedly on his 2025 season. In 21 more innings, he lowered his ERA by almost a full run. None of his marks were particularly incredible (4.92 ERA, 1.20 WHIP), but he still showed improvement. Command was his biggest problem. Hart walked a career-high 26 batters despite a .218 opponent batting average. If he could find the zone a little more often, Hart could develop into a better relief weapon in the San Diego 'pen.
That being said, Hart underperformed in 2025 and '26. In both years, his expected ERA was more than a full run lower than his actual ERA. That gap was more noticeable in 2026 since he threw more innings, with Hart's serviceable 3.65 xERA compared to a 4.92 actual ERA. This could be due to a handful of things (defense, environmental factors, etc.), but Hart's stuff could finally prove up to snuff in 2027 if the Padres give him a chance.
