Could Boston Red Sox Japanese slugger Masataka Yoshida, 30, be among the stars?
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, took a look at some under-the-radar All-Star voting candidates on Monday. “There are players that fans may not even think about voting for, but they deserve to be All-Stars,” the site said, nominating Yoshida for American League Outfielder.
Yoshida has dominated Japanese professional baseball with the Orix Buffaloes. Last winter, he signed with Boston for five years and $90 million through the posting system.메이저사이트
At the time of the signing, there was controversy over the overpayment. At the time, the local media had a rather negative attitude, saying, “Boston signed him for an embarrassingly high amount of money,” and “It is doubtful that he will be able to show the same performance in the major leagues as he did in Japan.
Despite the negative attention, Yoshida also participated in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). While many players decided to sit out the tournament to get acclimated to their new team, Yoshida was different. He proved his competitiveness by winning the batting title on the world’s biggest stage.
Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox.
Yoshida is enjoying a successful debut season in the major leagues. In 61 games, he’s batting .309 (73-for-286) with seven home runs, a .479 on-base percentage, and a .862 OPS. He’s established himself as Boston’s center fielder, and it shows. That’s why MLB.com recommends Yoshida as an All-Star.
As MLB.com notes, “Some doubted Yoshida’s ability to succeed in the majors, but he’s had a stellar debut season in Boston. He also erased his doubters at the WBC. Yoshida is a disciplined hitter who doesn’t strike out. He has a combination of contact and power,” he said, adding, “Let’s gather international stars,” and emphasizing that Yoshida should be voted for in the All-Star voting.
Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox.
If you don’t win the fan vote, there are still ways to make it to the All-Star game. You can be invited to the star-studded event as a manager’s pick. It will be interesting to see if Yoshida can make it to the All-Star Game.