Red Sox Fans May Need to Rethink Stance on Masataka Yoshida

What if Masataka Yoshida is closer to the guy the Boston Red Sox are seeing right now than the guy he's been in the regular season?

It's a question Red Sox fans likely didn't think they'd need to ponder. Yoshida's three seasons in a Red Sox uniform have been frustrating for all parties involved, and with two years left on his $90 million deal, it's probably fair to say that the main reason he's still on the team is that no other club will take on a significant portion of his contract.

But even if it's against inferior competition, it's impossible to ignore the swings Yoshida has been displaying for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Yoshida goes yard AGAIN on Sunday

Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (7) hits a two run single during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When Yoshida put on a Team Japan uniform, he transforms into Superman. He homered in the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday against Team Australia to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, propelling Japan to a 3-0 record in pool play and a berth in the quarterfinals.

MASATAKA YOSHIDA GIVES TEAM JAPAN THE LEAD! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC pic.twitter.com/j6EM0RTwWc
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026

In his three WBC games, Yoshida now has two home runs, and is batting .500 with a 1.783 OPS. He hit a third home run in a Team Japan exhibition game at the Tokyo Dome on Monday.

Maybe we're being prisoners of the moment, but it's just hard to ignore how much more confident Yoshida looks in these WBC games. He's getting easier pitches to hit, no doubt, but he also hasn't hit the ball with this sort of force at all as a Red Sox, except maybe a few times in early 2023.

So do the Red Sox really need to find a trade destination for him, whatever the cost? There might even be an argument to be made that the WBC bump in his trade value, if there is one, is a golden opportunity.

Or should fans be glad Yoshida is still around, because someone in the outfield will inevitably spend time on the injured list, and when that happens, this guy who's wreaking havoc on the world stage might finally be healthy enough to do the same in Boston?