Masataka Yoshida (30), outfielder of the Japan National Baseball Team, recorded a career batting average of .3027 as a member of the Orix Buffaloes. In seven seasons he had 884 hits, 133 home runs, and 467 RBIs. He has a good ability to hit the ball, but he also has power, and he has a good starting line. He has a career on-base percentage of 4.2 and a slugging percentage of 5.3 and 9. He has struck out only 97 in 1,455 at-bats over the past three years. From the opposing pitcher’s point of view, Yoshida is a ‘very tricky hitter who can’t see any gaps’.
Last winter, he entered the major leagues through the posting system. Like other top players in Japanese professional baseball, he set out in search of a bigger stage. However, the terms of the contract are very good. He signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Boston Red Sox for an average annual salary of $18 million. As a left fielder, the evaluation that the defense was rather weak was not a problem.
It’s the best contract for a Japanese fielder when he gets to the major leagues. He surpassed Seiya Suzuki (29) in 2021. Suzuki, who was a member of the Hiroshima Carps, signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
It looks like Suzuki might add a new record. It was his debut season in the major leagues, making four opener batting appearances.
Suzuki appeared as the 4th hitter in a row in the recent practice game and exhibition game. On the 25th (hereafter Korean time), he played 4 times in a practice game with a university team, and on the 27th, he participated in the Tampa Bay Race and an exhibition game 4 times. He appeared in his team’s first external game and first demonstration game all four times.
Boston coach Alex Cora put ‘main gun’ Rafael Devers (27) in the second. In place of the main hitter who hit ’65 home runs’ in the past two years, Yoshida was placed at No. 4.
He is expected to use the left-handed hitter in the fourth, alternating between the two. Although ‘strong second hitter’ is a recent trend, the batting order shows that expectations for Yoshida are high. Many pundits predicted that Yoshida, who has a high on-base percentage, would take over as No. 1 in his first year in the major leagues.
‘Hitter number 4’ Yoshida hit a double that hit the middle-right fence in his first exhibition game.
According to Japanese media, there has never been a case where a Japanese hitter has played 4 times in the first major league game. Tsutsugo Yoshimoto (31), a former home run king in Japanese professional baseball, participated in the opening game with 3 times for Tampa Bay in 2020. In 2003, Hideki Matsui went to the New York Yankees No. 5, and in 2008, Kosuke Fukudome went to the Chicago Cubs No. 5. Also last year, Suzuki rose to number 6 in the starting lineup for the opening game.카지노사이트
Ichiro Suzuki and Kazuo Matsui debuted with No. 1 and Shohei Ohtani with No. 8.
Even in his debut season in the major leagues, Yoshida decided to participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). With Suzuki suffering from left flank pain, his role became more important.