Article: Make or Break Players On The 2025 Red Sox: Masataka Yoshida

[Andrew Roberts]

It’s been two years since Chaim Bloom signed Japanese standout Masataka Yoshida to a 5 year, $90 million contract. While Yoshida has had his moments in these first two seasons, he hasn’t quite been the player that Red Sox fans were expecting. After struggling in the field in his first season, Yoshida played just one game there in 2024, leading many Sox fans to call for Yoshida to be traded due to his lack of defensive flexibility. 

Masataka Yoshida remains on the roster heading into the spring, but his spot in the starting lineup may be in question if Alex Bregman stays at his natural position of third base, forcing Rafael Devers to designated hitter. However, we shouldn't be ready to give up on Yoshida, and this will be a big year in which to determine his long-term value. After all, he is one of the best contact hitters on the team, with a career batting average of .285. Let’s take a closer look at Yoshida heading into the 2025 season.

What went wrong in 2024?
After starting 20 games at DH in April and batting .281, Yoshida missed the month of May with a left thumb strain, and he wasn’t quite the same when he came back in June. June was one of the worst in Yoshida’s career, in which he posted a .204/.271/.278 slash line and failed to hit a single home run. 

He heated up during the summer and posted a team-leading .329 batting average in July and August. However, he cooled off again in September and finished the season just slightly above average with the stick, posting an OPS+ of 112. 

Perhaps his September struggles were due to the shoulder injury that forced him to get surgery in October. In a vacuum, Yoshida’s 2024 numbers don’t look all that bad, and he could perform even better in a fully healthy season. However, if you take into account the money he’s making, his lack of fielding ability, and his struggles from a power perspective, last year was still a disappointment for him. 

Many Sox fans have a hard time accepting a pure contact hitter as their full-time DH, especially given that they have recently had guys like David Ortiz and J.D. Martinez in the position. However, Yoshida can provide a decent amount of value to the team in 2025.

What could go right in 2025?
If nothing else, a healthy Yoshida is a .300 hitter and one of the best contact hitters on the team. Assuming he’s 100%, keeping him out of the Red Sox lineup this year will be difficult. I think there are a couple of ways he can get there.

If the Sox start Kristian Campbell in Triple-A, Bregman may open the season at second base, and Devers will remain at third. That would allow Yoshida to continue to see games at DH, and despite the complaints of some fans, that won't be the end of the world. 

In addition to his ability to regularly get on base, Yoshida has shown upside as a power bat. He hit 15 home runs in 2023, and I would not be shocked to see a 20-homer year out of him at some point if not this season. After all, he was called “the Japanese Juan Soto” by outfielder Adam Jones when he played in Japan.

Even once the Red Sox call up Campbell, Yoshida still has room to make an impact. First, Alex Cora often likes to platoon his rookie bats, which could allow Yoshida to continue to see some starts at DH against right-handed pitchers. 

In addition, Cora has also said that Yoshida will see time in the outfield this year. Yoshida played the majority of his 2023 games in left field. While the Sox may have better defensive options, it could be worth starting Yoshida in Fenway's tiny left field if that’s what it takes to keep his bat in the lineup. Given that he’s already preparing for outfield starts in spring training, his defense could certainly see improvement this time, and he was far from the biggest defensive problem with the 2023 team. 

How could this impact the Red Sox?
So long as he’s healthy and getting on base, it benefits the Red Sox to do what they can to keep Yoshida in the starting lineup for a good part of the season. The Red Sox seemingly have a solid top four in Jarren Duran, Bregman, Devers, and Triston Casas. Still, guys like Yoshida and Trevor Story staying healthy and making contact would arguably make this Red Sox lineup the deepest in the AL East. I would like to see Yoshida bat sixth for the Red Sox, allowing him the opportunity to extend the inning and knock in some runs batting after some of the team’s best hitters. At DH or left field, Yoshida gives this Red Sox lineup a higher floor and ceiling.

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