I don’t know how the rival executives and evaluators — and everybody else who trashed the Red Sox for signing Masataka Yoshida — can’t feel differently about him now after watching his historic World Baseball Classic performance.
Yoshida will be better than people think, potentially another Chaim Bloom win. His 5-year, $90 million contract, plus the $15 million posting fee, probably isn’t much of an “overpay,” if it is at all.
I cannot wait for the critics to eat their words; It will be so much fun.
Masataka Yoshida’s World Baseball Classic Proves He’s Legit
Masataka Yoshida was integral to Japan’s undefeated World Baseball Classic championship run.
Versus Mexico, he hit a game-tying three-run home run in the seventh, one of his three hits that game.
MASATAKA YOSHIDA TIES THE GAME IN THE 7TH! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/a7COW1167M
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 21, 2023
How’d he crush a ball with this swing????? Tell me again he doesn’t have massive power. pic.twitter.com/5SOzeQ4gTE
— Cody Bondeson (@cody_bondeson_) March 21, 2023
He hit it over 360 feet and didn’t even hit it squarely.
In the eighth, he threw out a runner at home plate to keep Japan in it.
I think he’s a better fielder than people think ? pic.twitter.com/6G2AboLJkv
— Cody Bondeson (@cody_bondeson_) March 21, 2023
Yoshida had a couple more key hits earlier in the tournament, too.
The Japanese native struck out for the first and only time during the tournament in the WBC championship game against the United States.
Boston’s 29-year-old outfielder hit .409/.531/.727 with two home runs, a double, five runs scored, four walks, and a record 13 RBI over seven games. His 13 RBI are the most for any Team Japan player in a WBC career — and he did it in one tournament!
He looks fine defensively, too. For example:
Yoshida’s defense might be better than initially thought pic.twitter.com/IBJWgBqzAF
— Cody Bondeson (@cody_bondeson_) March 16, 2023
Yoshida could’ve easily been the WBC MVP instead of Ohtani. However, he was named to the All-World Baseball Classic team, along with Yu Chang.
You could knock Masataka Yoshida’s World Baseball Classic performance by saying he mainly faced inferior competition. He did do most of his damage against non-MLB pitching. That said, his clutch three-run homer, and three-hit game, came against three legit big leaguers. And he didn’t look overmatched when he faced off against the USA, a team of all MLB players.
Red Sox Liked What They Saw
Masataka Yoshida did everything in this last iteration of the World Baseball Classic and showed off exactly why the Red Sox signed him.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said about Yoshida’s WBC, “It was really great to see him have great at-bats in pressure situations,” Bloom said. “To see the calmness in the box. To see the ability to use the whole field. The two-strike approach. The power. Basically, to see some of the things that our scouts have been seeing for years.”
Justin Turner said, “Just a professional, professional at-bat to the highest level. It was unbelievable, the way he controlled the strike zone, the way he used the whole field, the way he hits with runners in scoring position, takes his walks. It was pretty impressive.”
Cora on what he learned about Yoshida in the WBC “Style, man. He’s got swag.” Was impressed by OF fundamentals, versatile approach of swinging hard early then battling deeper in counts. “Everybody’s pretty sure he’s going to hit at this level.”
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 22, 2023
Rafael Devers said, “ Increíble. That swing is natural. There’s nothing forced about it, and that’s a unique swing, so when you see him take that approach against that pitch, it’s really good.”
Trevor Story said, “He’s pretty clutch. That was a big three-run home run. And just the way he stays through the ball is amazing. You could tell that he’s not scared to hit with two strikes, and to shoot the ball the other way is a big weapon of his. That gets me excited for what he can do at Fenway.”
‘You could tell right away he was going to be the real deal’ – Enrique Hernandez on Yoshida
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) March 21, 2023
Critics Already Eating Their Words
Numerous scouts and executives concluded Boston overpaid for Yoshida. Those evaluations don’t jive with the Sox’s or what he showed us in the World Baseball Classic.
The Athletic’s Keith Law said this about Yoshida, “The undersized Yoshida has an extremely short, punchy swing that favors contact over impact, almost like he’s playing pepper with the infielders. Not only does that approach not lend itself to power, even extra-base power, but it also can leave hitters vulnerable to pitchers who can come inside with velocity.”
Bloom said, “How he looks over the baseball, his awareness of the strike zone, his ability to make contact — those are things that typically translate well from NPB to here.”
Bloom Continued, “He hits the ball hard. … He hits (high velocity). It’s a pretty simple approach, simple swing, so we just love everything about the offensive profile and that really is the foundation of why we went after him the way we did.”
Vice president of scouting development and integration Gus Guattlebaum said the opposite, “There was a discrepancy in the industry and what people think of the power, that was the thing that stood out to us. … It’s more of Western swing with the ability to lift the ball and with surprising raw power. It changed the calculus for us as evaluators.”
He’s got power — for extra bases too. Fenway will only help him.
Masataka Yoshida launches his first home run of the #WorldBaseballClassic! pic.twitter.com/R29iTBuFnM
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 16, 2023
Looks like extra-base power to me.
Masataka Yoshida gives Japan their first lead of the day! pic.twitter.com/9ExQ2RBN6c
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 11, 2023
Yoshida will be way better than advertised. But am I saying he’s a star? No, I’m not saying that. What I am saying is he’s going to be a good, well above average everyday outfielder.
Eat up, critics.
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