Red Sox rookie Masataka Yoshida has had an impressive first Major League Baseball season, and he made his way onto the “Hitter Power Rankings,” the league announced Wednesday.
The 30-year-old outfielder spent 2016-22 playing with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball before entering the bigs after signing a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox.
While many were concerned he was going to struggle with adjusting to MLB play, Yoshida has done just the opposite.
Coming in at No. 9 on the list of 10 sluggers, Yoshida continues to impress in his first season, although he doesn’t consider himself a rookie.
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Yoshida made the list along with some big name players, such as two-way talent Shohei Ohtani and former Red Sox star Mookie Betts.
“Yoshida finally cracks the top 10 here for the first time this season, and it’s well deserved,” MLB’s announcement said. “The 29-year-old rookie from Japan has shown that he can thrive against Major League pitching, batting .318/.380/.503, including .442/.453/.731 over his past 12 games.”
Ahead of Friday’s matchup with the New York Mets, he’s recorded 104 hits, including 22 doubles and 11 home runs. One of his homers was a grand slam on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs, tallying three hits and six RBIs on the day.
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Despite falling short of an All-Star bid earlier this month, Yoshida remains in the running for the Rookie of the Year. His future looks bright with the way he’s been swinging the bat his first season.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
