Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida ‘Not Interested’ In This MLB Award

Red Sox newcomer Masataka Yoshida isn’t itching to add a certain piece of hardware to his trophy case.

After an up-and-down few weeks to start his first Major League Baseball season, Yoshida has turned into arguably the most consistent hitter on Boston’s roster. Thus, “Macho Man” finds himself in the thick of the American League Rookie of the Year Award conversation. As of Thursday morning, Yoshida is the odds-on favorite (+145) at FanDuel Sportsbook to claim the honor, ahead of the likes of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (+400) and Houston Astros starter Hunter Brown (+550).

But Yoshida himself isn’t concerned about winning the award, as the 29-year-old clearly doesn’t look at himself as a rookie.

“I am not interested in Rookie of the Year because I have done years in Japan already,” Yoshida told reporters through a translator before the Red Sox’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, per The Boston Globe. “But it’s an honor.”

Yoshida added: “Compared to the other candidates that are in their 20s, I feel a little bit older.”

One honor Yoshida surely would welcome is an All-Star nod, which would be deserving for a player batting .318 with a .391 OBP, .889 OPS and 67 total hits. Boston fans can cast an All-Star vote for Yoshida, as well as their other Red Sox favorites, until June 22.