Kyle Hart Bio
Kyle Patrick Hart is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed thrower and batter, Hart has also pitched in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League for the NC Dinos and briefly appeared in the majors for the Boston Red Sox. Across professional stops in the United States and South Korea, he has worked as a starting pitcher and a multi-inning reliever.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and listed at 170 pounds, Hart relies on a tall, angular frame to deliver from the left side. After several years moving between minor league affiliates, he earned his first major league opportunity with Boston in 2020 before later establishing himself as a frontline starter abroad. He is recognized in the KBO for winning the prestigious Choi Dong-won Award in 2024.
Early Life and Background
Kyle Patrick Hart was born on November 23, 1992, in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States. He grew up in the Cincinnati area and attended Sycamore High School, where he first began playing organized baseball and developed as a left-handed pitcher. The Cincinnati baseball community, with its long tradition of producing major league talent, helped shape his early interest in the sport.
After high school, Hart enrolled at Indiana University, where he played college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers across five seasons from 2012 to 2016. During his junior year, he underwent Tommy John surgery, a common procedure for pitchers that repairs the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. The rehabilitation period tested his patience but also allowed him to refine his mechanics and build arm strength for the next stage of his career.
Path to Professional Baseball
Following his recovery and a strong senior season at Indiana, Hart entered the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the 19th round with the 568th overall pick. Being chosen by a franchise with a deep player-development system gave Hart a clear professional pathway and access to experienced coaches in the Red Sox organization.
Hart began his professional climb in the Red Sox minor league affiliates, progressing through the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, the Greenville Drive, the Salem Red Sox, and the Portland Sea Dogs. Each step required adjustments in workload, competition level, and pitching strategy. By 2019, after a full season split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, the Red Sox added him to their 40-man roster, signaling that he was close to being considered for the major leagues.
Kyle Hart Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Hart opened his professional career in 2017 across three levels of the Boston system, posting a 6–5 record with a 2.15 earned run average (ERA) and 109 strikeouts in 117 innings. The following year, he spent the entire 2018 season with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, where he logged a 3.57 ERA and 100 strikeouts over 138⅔ innings while making 24 starts. These seasons established him as a reliable innings-eater in the Red Sox developmental pipeline.
In 2019, Hart pitched at both Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, finishing the year with a 12–13 record, a 3.52 ERA, and 140 strikeouts across 156 innings in 71 starts. The heavy workload proved he could handle a full professional season. After the campaign, the Red Sox protected him by adding him to their 40-man roster, setting the stage for his major league arrival.
Boston Red Sox Era (2020–2022)
Hart made his Major League Baseball debut on August 13, 2020, starting against the Tampa Bay Rays in a game played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The outing was a difficult one, as he allowed seven runs, five of them earned, on seven hits and three walks in just two innings and took the loss. He later noted that the empty ballpark made the experience feel closer to a spring training scrimmage than a regular MLB game.
A left hip impingement sent Hart to the injured list in September 2020, limiting him to four appearances and three starts with an 0–1 record and a 15.55 ERA. He was outrighted off the 40-man roster after the season and spent 2021 and most of 2022 in the minors with the Worcester Red Sox and Portland Sea Dogs. After electing free agency in November 2022, he signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies organization in February 2023 and later joined the Seattle Mariners system in June 2023, working back toward another major league opportunity.
NC Dinos Era (2024)
On December 19, 2023, Hart signed a one-year contract worth $500,000 with the NC Dinos of the KBO League, including a $200,000 signing bonus and additional incentives. The move to South Korea gave him a chance to start regularly after several seasons spent largely in the minors. He quickly became one of the most effective foreign pitchers in the league.
In 26 starts during the 2024 KBO season, Hart posted a 13–3 record with a 2.69 ERA and 182 strikeouts. His performance earned him the Choi Dong-won Award, the KBO’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award, recognizing him as the league’s top pitcher. Following the season, he elected free agency to pursue a return to Major League Baseball.
San Diego Padres Era (2025–Present)
On February 13, 2025, Hart signed a one-year major league contract with the San Diego Padres that included a club option for 2026. In his first Padres season, he appeared in 20 games with six starts, compiling a 3–3 record, a 5.86 ERA, and 37 strikeouts across 43 innings of work. The Padres declined his 2026 option on November 4, briefly making him a free agent.
Just two weeks later, on November 17, 2025, the Padres re-signed Hart to a new one-year, $1 million contract that includes a club option for 2027. Through the early portion of the 2026 MLB season, his major league statistics show a 3–5 win–loss record, a 6.75 ERA, and 65 strikeouts. He continues to operate as a versatile left-handed arm out of the Padres’ pitching staff, mixing starts with relief appearances.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hart works from a tall left-handed delivery and is at his best when he can establish his fastball on the outer half against right-handed hitters. His size helps him create a deep angle, and he pairs his heater with a breaking ball and a changeup to keep hitters off balance. The Choi Dong-won Award season highlighted his ability to limit hard contact and pile up strikeouts over a full workload.
Notable Events and Milestones
His MLB debut on August 13, 2020, against Tampa Bay marked his first appearance on a major league mound, even though the empty stadium gave it a unique atmosphere. Winning the Choi Dong-won Award in 2024 stands as the defining individual honor of his career, while his return to a major league roster with the Padres in 2025 represented a significant professional comeback after years in the minors and abroad.
Kyle Hart Career Wins
Across his professional career, Kyle Hart has accumulated his most significant win totals during his time in the KBO League and at the upper levels of the minor leagues. His standout victory total came in 2024 with the NC Dinos, when he posted a 13–3 record as a starting pitcher.
KBO League Highlights
In 26 starts for the NC Dinos in 2024, Hart went 13–3 with a 2.69 ERA and 182 strikeouts, anchoring the team’s rotation throughout the season. His first win with the Dinos opened his account in Korean baseball, and his most recent outing capped a campaign that ended with league-wide recognition. The run of form was the foundation for his Choi Dong-won Award.
Other Wins and Performances
Hart’s other notable win production came during his climb through the Boston Red Sox system. In 2017, he went 6–5 across multiple affiliates, and in 2019, he combined for a 12–13 record between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. These seasons helped him log more than 30 wins in the minors before his breakthrough in the KBO.
Kyle Hart Family
Personal Life
Kyle Hart married his wife, Haley Hart, in November 2022 in Granby, Colorado. The couple share their home with two dogs named David Bowie and Sadie Jane. Their daughter, Eden, was born on July 31, 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Kyle Hart’s 2025 campaign was defined by his return to Major League Baseball after a dominant year in the KBO League. Joining the Padres on a one-year deal, he split his time between the rotation and the bullpen, making 20 appearances with six starts. He finished the year with a 3–3 record, a 5.86 ERA, and 37 strikeouts in 43 innings.
While his overall ERA was higher than his KBO marks, Hart showed flashes of the form that made him a Cy Young-equivalent winner abroad. Manager Mike Shildt and the San Diego coaching staff used him as a flexible left-handed option against both left-handed and right-handed lineups. The Padres ultimately declined his option in early November before quickly reversing course with a new contract.
Heading into the next phase of his Padres tenure, Hart will look to build on his major league experience and trim his ERA. The one-year, $1 million deal signed on November 17, 2025, includes a club option for 2027, giving both sides flexibility. If he can recapture the command he displayed with the NC Dinos, he has a chance to cement a longer-term role in the San Diego pitching staff.
