The word ‘overpay’ did not suit ‘Macho Man’ Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox). He hit 10 homers in the first half alone, becoming the 9th Japanese player to record double-digit homers in his first season in the major leagues, and became the main character of Boston history in 81 years.
On the 10th (hereinafter Korean time), Yoshida started as the designated hitter in the 2023 major league home match against the Oakland Athletics held at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 5 times, and scored 2 hits in 4 at-bats (1 home run), 1 RBI and 2 runs. The first half ended with the team winning 4-3.
Yoshida, who was nominated by the Orix Buffaloes in the first round of the 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie Draft, played in 762 games over a total of 7 seasons, recording 884 hits, 133 homers, 467 RBIs, 418 runs batting average of 0.327 OPS 0.960, and challenged to the major leagues. pushed out And Yoshida held a 5-year, 90 million dollar (approximately 117 billion won) ‘Jackpot’ contract with Boston.
Boston made many ‘doubts’ from the local media in the process of signing a contract with Yoshida. It is true that Yoshida reigned as the best hitter in Japan, but the story of “overpay” followed because he invested too much money while it was impossible to guarantee that he would be able to work in the major leagues. However, after opening the lid, the results were different.
Yoshida decided to join the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) even before entering the major leagues, and after Shohei Otani (LA Angels), he had the second best score among hitters in the team, raising ‘expectations’. . However, after the regular season began, Yoshida’s batting average dropped to 0.167 in mid-April, and the ‘overpay’ seemed to hit the mark.
However, Yoshida hit the major league stage perfectly in a short time and started swinging the fire bat. Starting with the Minnesota Twins on April 21st, Yoshida hit 16 consecutive games and raised his batting average to 0.321. After that, he went up and down for a while, but he maintained his batting average in the late 2nd half and early 30%, and is wielding a heavy hit again in July.
Starting with an away match against the Toronto Blue Jays on the 1st, Yoshida hit multi-hits in 7 consecutive games, raising his batting average to 0.316 again. In particular, in the game on the 10th, I tasted the thrill of my hands in 6 games, and tasted the joy of writing the ninth record in Japanese major league history.
Yoshida failed to produce a hit in the first at-bat in the first inning, and in the third inning, with two outs and first and second base scoring chances, he was silent as he struck out looking. However, from the middle of the game, he immediately revived. Yoshida got a hit off Oakland’s Paul Blackburn in his third at-bat in the bottom of the sixth with Boston trailing 2-3, then homered on Christian Arroyo’s timely hit.
And he set the record in his fourth at-bat. In the fourth at-bat as the lead batter at the end of the 8th inning with a score of 3-3, Yoshida faced Oakland’s new pitcher Ken Waldychuck, and hit a 95.1 mile (approximately 153 km) high four-seam fastball that was far out of the strike zone in the 6th pitch and crossed the Green Monster. hit a solo home run. Season 10 home run. Boston ended the first half with a 4-3 victory, backed by Yoshida’s home run.토토사이트
According to Japan’s ‘Nikkan Sports’, Yoshida hit his 10th home run of the season, surpassing Tsuyoshi Shinjo (10 in 2001, now manager of Nippon Ham), Hideki Matsui (16 in 2003), Tadahito Iguchi (15 in 2005) and Kenji Jojima. (18 in 2006), Kosuke Fukudome (10 in 2008), Norichika Aoki (10 in 2012), Shohei Otani (22 in 2018, Los Angeles Angels), and Seiya Suzuki (14 in 2022, Chicago Cubs). He became the ninth player in history to hit a double-digit home run in his first season in the major leagues.
The record did not stop there. Yoshida left his name on a page of history as a Boston player who scored 7 consecutive multi-hits in 81 years, following Johnny Pesky in 1942. Peskey made his debut in Boston and played in Detroit and Washington, recording 1455 hits, 0.307 OPS, 0.780 in 1270 games over 10 major league seasons, and was inducted into the Boston Hall of Fame, with 6 times designated as a ‘Legend’ that has been permanently retired. ‘all.
Yoshida participated in 78 games until the 10th, recording 10 homers, 44 RBIs, and a batting average of 0.316.