Japanese major leaguer Masataka Yoshida (30, Boston Red Sox) has finished adapting to the big leagues.
On the 27th (Korean time), in the 2023 MLB match against the Baltimore Orioles held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Maryland, USA, Yoshida started as the 4th hitter and left fielder and recorded 1 hit and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats.
The only hit is a home run. Yoshida took the lead in the second inning, trailing by 0-1, and hit a 126m solo home run that hit opponent starter Tyler Wells’ 136km/h changeup over the right-middle fence.
It is the fourth home run of the season, added three days after recording two home runs in one game against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 24th.
Yoshida entered the US stage last winter by signing a surprise contract with Boston for 5 years and a total of 90 million dollars (120.4 billion won). Including all posting (private competitive bidding) costs, the amount invested by the Boston club in Yoshida’s recruitment is worth 105.4 million dollars (141 billion won). 온라인카지노
Yoshida, who made his professional debut in 2016, has a batting average of 0.327, 133 homers and 467 RBIs in 762 games. In particular, at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he set a new record for the most 13 RBIs in a single competition. He left a strong impression even before stepping into the big leagues. In particular, amidst the sluggishness of Munetaka Murakami (Yakult), who set a new record for most Japanese players with 56 homers last year, Yoshida served as the national team’s fourth hitter from the second round and played an active role as a solver, leading Japan to its third championship.
However, he suffered a severe batting slump in the early days of the big leagues. In 13 games, the batting average until the game against Minnesota on the 19th fell to a season low of 0.167. He had only one home run. Gradually, concerns grew louder.
Yoshida, who missed the game against the Minnesota Twins on the 20th, has been flying from the next day (21st). Hits in the last 7 games. Among them, he recorded multiple hits (two or more hits in one game) in five games. In the game on the 24th, he only hit two home runs. In the game against Baltimore on the 27th, he added a home run in 3 days, increasing his season home run to 4.
Yoshida recorded a batting average of 0.464 in the last seven games, raising his batting average to 0.264 for the season. His slugging percentage is high at 0.458.