There have been several impressive rookies this season in the American League.
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has hit seven homers and stolen 13 bases in less than two months, Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown has looked like an ace at times, Josh Jung has been one of the reasons the Texas Rangers lineup has improved so much, and Bryce Miller has made a real difference in the Seattle Mariners rotation.
None of them has done more to help his team than Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida.
Depending on how you view things, Yoshida is or isn’t a rookie, considering he is 29 and has been dominating the Japanese league for a while.
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However, under the MLB criterion for rookie eligibility, he qualifies, and that is an irrefutable fact.
Yoshida started off the season a bit slowly as he found his footing in new surroundings, but once he did, he showed just how good he is.
At the moment, he is hitting .300/.381/.500 with six homers and two steals.
That’s incredible performance for a guy who isn’t known as a power hitter.
He has also scored 26 times and driven in 28 runs.
Yoshida only needed a couple of weeks of adjustments, but is looking like he was worth the investment the Red Sox made in the offseason.
He is also one of the toughest outs in the league: his 9.4 percent strikeout rate is unquestionably elite.
The Red Sox, at 24-20, might be last in the AL East but are looking much better than anticipated in the first few weeks of the season.
Yoshida is a big reason why, and that’s why he is leading the AL Rookie of the Year odds.
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