Masataka Yoshida Stats
- Height / Weight
- 5' 8" / 192 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 7/15/1993 (30)
- Experience
- 1
- College
- Aoyama Gakuin
Masataka Yoshida Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Masataka Yoshida News
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) has returned to third base on Saturday against the visiting Chicago Cubs, which has allowed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to return to the lineup as the designated hitter against right-hander Ben Brown. Devers is hitting in the two-hole, while Tanaka is batting sixth for the BoSox. Devers missed five games with a knee injury recently but has been hot at the plate since returning, going 7-for-13 with a homer, double, two RBI and three runs scored in three games. He's a must-start anytime he's active. Tanaka, meanwhile, returns to the fold after missing the last four games, although he has appeared as a pinch-hitter. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter has essentially become a DH only for Boston and is hitting .233 (17-for-73) with two homers and 10 RBI to start the year.
Boston Red Sox outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Masataka Yoshida are not in the lineup for the matinee game on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. Rob Refsnyder is in left field and is batting third, while Wilyer Abreu is in right field and hitting cleanup against Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie. O'Neill is getting the day off after playing the last two games upon his activation from the injured list. He went 2-for-9 in the last two games with four strikeouts and is now hitting .298 on the year with seven home runs and eight RBI. Yoshida is still considered the team's primary designated hitter, but he's out for the third straight game while the club eases third baseman Rafael Devers back from his knee injury. Devers is expected to be back at the hot corner by Saturday, which means Yoshida should be back as the DH by then as well.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida is once again on the bench for Wednesday's contest against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Carlos Carrasco. The lefty-swinging outfielder hasn't started a game since April 20 as it's unclear if he is dealing with an injury or is simply in manager Alex Cora's doghouse. He did make a pinch-hitting plate appearance on Tuesday, so it appears to be the latter. The 30-year-old isn't exactly off to a terrible start, hitting .250 with two homers, 10 RBI, a tiny 13.6% K%, and a .708 OPS in 21 games, production that grades out 6% above the league average, as per his 106 wRC+. Rafael Devers is back in the lineup at designated hitter while Tyler O'Neill and Wilyer Abreu are manning the corner outfield spots.
Batting Order
1 | Jarren Duran |
2 | Rafael Devers |
3 | Tyler O'Neill |
4 | Wilyer Abreu |
5 | Connor Wong |
6 | Masataka Yoshida |
7 | Enmanuel Valdez |
8 | Bobby Dalbec |
9 | Ceddanne Rafaela |
Masataka Yoshida Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | Jarren Duran |
2 | Rafael Devers |
3 | Tyler O'Neill |
4 | Wilyer Abreu |
5 | Connor Wong |
6 | Masataka Yoshida |
7 | Enmanuel Valdez |
8 | Bobby Dalbec |
9 | Ceddanne Rafaela |
Masataka Yoshida looked excellent in the first half of 2023, slashing .316/.382/.492 with a 10.7 K% and 8.1 BB%. Then, he crashed and burned in the second half with a .254/.278/.386 line, 18.4 K%, and 2.9 BB%. The final line of .289/.338/.445 with 15 HR and eight steals across 580 PAs looks solid, but how he got there was concerning. Between his 26.9 FB%, 6.6% rate of Brls/BBE, and 92.9 mph average airborne exit velocity, it's difficult to project more HRs. Similarly, Yoshida's 26.2 ft./sec Statcast Sprint Speed was too low to expect a surge in his SB totals. That puts a lot of pressure on Yoshida's batting average to maintain fantasy relevancy, and his .269 xBA won't cut it. Atrocious defense limited Yoshida to just 0.6 fWAR despite solid offensive numbers, so consistent playing time could become hard to find. Yoshida is relatively affordable with an ADP of 171.72, but you can probably find more upside in comparatively-priced names such as Vinnie Pasquantino (172.13), Carlos Rodon (177.98), Trevor Story (178.80), or James Outman (182.03). A 30-year-old who might help your batting average while offering little elsewhere isn't a good use of a roster spot.