Of all the additions made by the Boston Red Sox this past offseason, perhaps none have been bigger than the signing of Japanese slugger Masataka Yoshida.
Boston gave the young slugger a five-year, $90 million contract after losing shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres in free agency.
So far, Yoshida has been a very fruitful addition for the Red Sox.
The 29-year-old slugger is hitting .313 on the season with six home runs, 30 RBI, an on-base percentage of .389, a slugging percentage of .486, and an OPS of .875.
On Twitter, Red Sox analyst Tyler Milliken pointed out some important stats which show just how consistent and productive Yoshida has been at the plate.
The one constant with all the ups and downs from the Red Sox offense is Masataka Yoshida keeps on hitting.
Last 7 games: .370/.433/.444/.877
Last 15 games: .345/.415/.466/.881
He’s currently rocking a 140 wRC+ on the season. pic.twitter.com/uH1Ah8ehF1
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) May 31, 2023
The Red Sox offense has been very inconsistent this season.
However, the same cannot be said for Yoshida.
The Japanese slugger has remained hot through all of the Red Sox’s offensive struggles.
Over his last seven games, the 29-year-old and World Baseball Classic star is slashing .370/.433/.444/.877.
In his past 15 games, Yoshida is slashing .345/.415/.466/.881.
He also has a 140 wRC+ this season.
Yoshida has picked up 56 hits in his first 179 at-bats.
As for the Red Sox, they have sunk to the bottom of the AL East, 9.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot.
However, despite their struggles, Yoshida has remained a constant this season and has been the one key piece of their lineup that has not faded with the rest of the offense in crucial stretches.
The 29-year-old has also stolen three bases and scored a total of 28 runs.
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