Photo Credit: NBC Sports Boston
For Masataka Yoshida, the first few weeks of his MLB career have been full of ups and downs. The Red Sox’s biggest offseason acquisition has gone through cold stretches and turned in dominant performances at the plate. While time will tell if the signing will work out, Yoshida has shown the ability to adjust to MLB pitching and has recently been an on-base machine.
After hitting his first MLB home run on April second, the Japanese native went ice cold at the plate. His average dipped below .200, and he struggled to make hard contact. However, as the Red Sox have won three of their last four series, Yoshida has made his rough stretch a distant memory.
Over his last seven games, the talented outfielder has posted a .464 batting average. Yoshida has driven in nine runs in that span and added three extra-base hits to his resume. He is second on the Red Sox in runs batted in with 16, trailing only Rafael Devers, who has 23. While Yoshida has been scorching hot at the plate, he has written himself into the franchises’ record books.
On April 23rd against Milwaukee, Yoshida hit two home runs in one inning, including his first grand slam in the majors. The last player in franchise history to hit two home runs in one inning was David Ortiz in 2008.
While Yoshida’s sample size is small, he is showing why the Red Sox targeted him in free agency. He has started to use the whole field and has five multi-hit games in the last week. During that stretch, Yoshida has only struck out six times, while the Red Sox have faced playoff-caliber teams in the Twins, Brewers, and Orioles.
As the Red Sox look to defy expectations, Yoshida will be a player to watch. He is a critical piece and hard to keep off the bases when locked in. So far this season, the Red Sox have had one of the highest-scoring offenses, with Yoshida at the center of their success. As long as Yoshida continues to make adjustments, the Red Sox offense will have an elite bat they can rely on, along with Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo.
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