Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida Joins Ichiro Suzuki In Rarified Air With Impressive Start
When Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year $90 million deal, executives around the league reportedly laughed at what was perceived as an overpay.
Yoshida proceeded to have one of the most overall dominant starts to a season in the modern era and has been an extremely impactful middle-of-the-order bat for Red Sox manager Alex Cora. What truly stands out is how well his plate discipline has translated from international play to Major League Baseball.
In 50 games, Masataka Yoshida has hit .314 with an .899 OPS, 22 extra-base hits, 23 walks, and 22 strikeouts," Red Sox senior manager of media relations and baseball information J.P. Long tweeted prior to Sunday's game. "Only two players this century have reached base 85+ times and struck out 25 or fewer times in their first 50 career games: Masataka Yoshida (2023) Ichiro Suzuki (2001)."
Yoshida has been able to showcase his abilities to both get on base at a high clip and provide the power required in the No. 2 and No. 4 spots in the order -- where he typically resides.
While the talk about his contract was largely overblown, it does appear that the Red Sox made the right move. The 29-year-old has been quite impressive and already appears to be solidified as a core member of the roster.
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