The Boston Red Sox made some key additions over the winter to strengthen their roster for the 2023 season.
Their biggest move was the signing of slugger Masataka Yoshida.
Boston brought him in on a five-year, $90 million contract to add a bat to the lineup, replacing J.D. Martinez.
Yoshida has been everything the Red Sox could have asked for since signing him.
The slugger is hitting .320 with 12 home runs, 53 RBI, and an OPS of .887.
In fact, he owns the best batting average out of all qualified hitters in the American League.
In his first MLB season, Macho Man leads all qualified AL hitters in batting average!
(MLB x @MattressFirm) pic.twitter.com/DMMf6yIhYc
— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2023
Things have gone quite well for Yoshida in his first year in the big leagues.
He helped guide Team Japan to a title in the World Baseball Classic alongside Lars Nootbaar and Shohei Ohtani.
Since returning, he has been everything that the Red Sox could have wanted.
Boston did lose a key piece in shortstop Xander Bogaerts, but the addition of Yoshida has been a very impactful one, as he has provided a spark in the Sox lineup.
The Red Sox are enjoying a solid season, as they sit at 54-47 and are just a few games out of a Wild Card spot.
Yoshida has helped keep the Sox afloat this year, even while competing in a very competitive American League East division.
But he’s on pace for a solid finish this year, and he has quietly been one of baseball’s best run producers since the start of the season.
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