Masataka Yoshida is turning his season around
After a slow start to the season, Masataka Yoshida has started to look like a different player at the plate. The talented 30-year-old has been an on-base machine of late and come through in big situations. As the Red Sox have surged to nine games over .500, Yoshida has been at the center of their success.
In his last seven games, Yoshida has posted a .346 batting average and driven in six runs. During that stretch, he has nine hits in 26 at-bats, raising his average from .244 to .259. His biggest swing came on Friday night as he gave the Red Sox a reason to celebrate against their arch-rivals.
With two strikes and two outs in the ninth, Yoshida crushed a 96-mile-per-hour sinker from Clay Holmes into the right field seats to tie the game for the Red Sox. They would go on to beat the Yankees 5-3 in extra innings and improve to 15-5 in their last 20 games. For Yoshida, it was a game he would never forget.
"That's one of the biggest highlights of my career with the Red Sox," Yoshida told reporters through a translator.
Yoshida's recent success has been a welcome sign for the Red Sox. Last year, he showed that he could be a valuable bat. During his first year in the majors, Yoshida posted a .289 batting average while driving in 79 runs in 140 games. After looking lost at the plate, he has rediscovered his 2023 form and has been hard to keep out of the lineup.
While the season is far from over, Yoshida is heating up at the perfect time. Over the last week, he has recorded three multi-hit games and has not had to rely on his power. He has been making more hard contact and come through with runners in scoring position. That is the player the Red Sox need him to be as they look to stun the baseball world and make a playoff run.
The Red Sox have been one of the best teams in the majors in June and July, and they have gotten a boost from Yoshida, who is showing no signs of slowing down.
