Boston Red Sox Designated Hitter Experiencing Major Post-Injury Resurgence

When Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida was activated from the Injured List on June 11th, his five-year, $90 million contract (plus a $15 million NPB posting fee) was looking incredibly rough. Fast forward to mid-August and Yoshida is one of the most reliable and productive pieces on the best second-half offense in MLB.

His decline in the final stretch of the 2023 season and the combination of a slow start and injury issues in 2024 led to a good portion of the Boston fanbase calling for his removal from the roster. Since the "Macho Man" found his timing, however, he's been an absolute nightmare for opposing hitters to face.

At a time when the Red Sox's season is being kept afloat by historic offensive performances just edging out the atrocities of the pitching staff, Yoshida has been one of their most crucial pieces. In 151 plate appearances following his reinstatement from the IL, he is hitting a whopping .336 with a .930 OPS.

Known for his elite contact abilities, Yoshida has been hitting almost everything; and with high exit velocities too. His 157 wRC+ grades him as 57% better than the average MLB hitter in that timespan. Digging deeper into the advanced metrics, he has lowered his ground ball rate by almost seven percent and his HardHit% has seen the opposite effect.

Yoshida has been spraying the ball hard all over the field and is seeing the level of success former President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom envisioned when signing him in 2023. The Red Sox offense has been tasked with overcoming the team's pitching struggles and maintaining in a tight playoff race and Yoshida, among others, has helped to raise that standard and keep their playoff hopes alive.