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Japanese rookie Masataka Yoshida has had a great start to life in the MLB. The Boston Red Sox star put in another stellar performance as they thrashed the New York Yankees 15-5 in their series opener on Friday.
He managed to score three RBIs on the night, as he continues to impress since his move to the MLB from the Japanese baseball league. He has quickly become a fan favorite in Fenway Park and they continued to sing his praise across social media.
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As the number of Japanese players in the MLB continues to grow, Masataka Yoshida was the newest highly anticipated talent to make the move across the Pacific.
He was with the Orix Buffaloes in the Nippon Professional League for seven years, winning the championship once while being named an All-Star four times. He joined the Red Sox in December 2022 on a five-year, $105 million contract.
On Friday night, Yoshida put the Red Sox on the scoreboard with a two-run double in the first inning and gave them an early lead. While the rest of the Boston offence were on fire as well, he then hit another RBI single into right field in the third to extend the lead to 5-1.
The likes of Juston Turner, Pablo Reyes and Connor Wong proceeded to dismantle the Yankees defence as the evening wore on. It was a night to remeber for the Red Sox fans who are quickly falling in love with the Japanese slugger.
"Just give him the ROY award now," wrote one fan on Twitter. "One of the best hitters in baseball," added another.
Boston Red Sox strategically resting Japanese rookie Masataka Yoshida pays off
Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida returned to action with four hits against the New York Yankees after a two-day break from action. The management's decision to strategically rest the Japanese rookie seemed to payed off as the looked sharper than ever on his return.
He managed three RBIs in four hits in an impressive performance which has been emblematic of his MLB season so far. The Red Sox will look to continue their strong start in the next games of the series.
