The Boston Red Sox have been buoyed as of late by an impressive hit streak by one of their key offseason acquisitions in outfielder Masataka Yoshida.
The newly signed outfielder joined the team on a five-year deal over the winter.
But lately, the Red Sox star has been swinging a hot bat.
Yoshida has hit safely in five straight games and picked up three hits on Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles.
He is 10 for his last 20, has hit for a .500 average, crushed two home runs, driven in nine, and picked up a double during his hit streak.
On Twitter, Red Sox analyst Tyler Milliken listed some stats to show just how dominant Yoshida has been during his hit streak.
Masataka Yoshida during his 5-game hitting streak:
22 PA
10-for-20
.500/.500/.850/1.350
2 HR
1 2B
9 RBI
263 wRC+Registered his highest EV with the Red Sox last night at 112.3 MPH. pic.twitter.com/118cGo2JfG
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 25, 2023
The Red Sox themselves sit at the bottom of the American League East, yet Yoshida has been swinging a hot bat and has proven to be worth every penny the Red Sox paid him over the winter.
He owns a .265 batting average for the season and has homered three times.
Yoshida also has an OPS of .789 OPS, two stolen bases, and 15 RBI.
The 29-year-old is coming off of a solid performance during the World Baseball Classic and has carried that over into the start of the 2023 season.
Milliken also noted that Yoshida has been squaring pitches up, with him registering his highest exit velocity with the Red Sox on Monday at 112.3 mph.
It wasn’t enough to help the Red Sox pull off a win, but Yoshida is certainly a key piece for this team and could be the X-factor if the team ends up contending this year.
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