The Boston Red Sox are confident that they've landed a difference maker in newly signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida.
Evident in the commentary provided by Red Sox scouts, the organization has high expectations of the 29-year-old. In fact, Yoshida drew one strongly-worded comparison to a former big league great. This player comparison, which came directly from a Red Sox scout in Japan, spoke volumes of how the organization envisions Yoshida could impact the lineup in the batter's box.
"(Yoshida could be) the best pure hitter since Ichiro (Suzuki)," Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum said, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.
Suzuki, a fellow Japanese countryman, assembled an illustrious 19-year career in Major League Baseball. Like Yoshida, Suzuki made the leap from Japanese pro baseball to the majors. Doing so at 27 years old, Suzuki made 10 consecutive All-Star appearances through his first 10 seasons before retiring at 45.
However, the comparisons didn't end there.
Quattlebaum mentioned that Yoshida could serve as a difference maker in the Red Sox lineup, similar to one former fan-favorite.
"We thought this could be a bat that could change the complexion of our lineup, kind of like what (Kyle) Schwarber did when he brought the good approach," Quattlebaum said.
This just adds to the pre-existing abundance of praise that Yoshida has already received before having made his debut with the Red Sox. After spending seven previous seasons with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, Yoshida left quite an impression on a few ex-MLB players.
One of those former major leaguers, Adam Jones, also made an eye-brow-raising comparison when asked about Yoshida. The two had shared the field for just one season, yet Jones didn't hesitate from being bold himself.
"I say he's like the Japanese Juan Soto," Jones told Will Sammon of The Athletic. "He can hit the ball to all fields, all speeds. Like Juan Soto, he hits everything — and walks; and doesn’t swing outside of the zone."
Yoshida's plate discipline stood out during his run in the NBP. Through 119 games played in his final season with the Buffaloes, he drew a career-high 80 walks and struck out just 41 times. He also hit .335/.561/.447 with 21 home runs and 88 RBIs that same year.
If Yoshida does indeed live up to the hype, Red Sox fans will surely welcome him in left field for the next five years, no questions asked.
