{"id":79852,"date":"2024-07-12T14:30:50","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T18:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=79852"},"modified":"2026-02-04T20:36:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T01:36:18","slug":"red-sox-masataka-yoshida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/07\/12\/red-sox-masataka-yoshida\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox Have Playoff-Caliber DH Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Things haven\u2019t always been pretty for the Boston Red Sox this season. The same could be said for some of their players. Injuries<\/a> and struggles plagued Boston earlier in the year. As the club began turning things around in the last month, so did some of the Red Sox most important pieces. Designated hitter Masataka Yoshida<\/a> had a less-than-ideal start to 2024. Lately, things have been a lot different for the soon-to-be 31-year-old. Yoshida looks a lot more like his 2023 self as of late. And his recent performances have signaled one thing: the Red Sox have their playoff-caliber DH back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Red Sox Have Playoff-Caliber DH Back<\/h2>\n

Yoshida Turning The 2024 Season Around<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s been a different Yoshida over the past two weeks. He struggled to start the year, sitting with a .228 average and just .618 OPS on June 22. Yoshida had come off the injured list just over a week after missing over a month with a left thumb strain<\/a>. In his first nine games back, he batted just .118. It seemed like Yoshida wouldn\u2019t be able to turn things around. But that\u2019s exactly what he did. After that rough stretch, the Japanese product has been smooth sailing.<\/span><\/p>\n

On June 22, Yoshida went 0-4 against the Cincinnati Reds. That was exactly 15 games ago. However, despite factoring in his dud, Yoshida still dominates over his last 15. He\u2019s batting .321 during that period and has an OPS over .815. Those statistics are a lot different than the previous 15 contests. In 56 at-bats, Yoshida has 18 hits, two homers, and 12 RBI. In his last 110, he had just 26 knocks, two homers, and 12 RBI. Yoshida has basically doubled his season numbers over the past three weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The hot streak began on June 24 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Yoshida went 2-3 with two singles. He had doubles in his next two contests and, despite going hitless on June 29, bounced back with two more knocks to end the month. After beginning June with a .118 average, he ended it with a .375 mark. Yoshida entered July sporting a .657 OPS. That would quickly change against the Miami Marlins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoshida Lights Up July In Style<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Red Sox swept the Marlins in their first three games of July. Yoshida was a big part of it, collecting five hits in the first two matchups of the series. After tallying two RBI in 50 June at-bats, he had three in just 10 trips to the plate. Yoshida exited the series with a .672 OPS but hadn\u2019t hit a home run since mid-April. Boston\u2019s next opponent, the rival New York Yankees, would help change that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Red Sox trailed 3-1 in the ninth inning when pinch-hitter Dominic Smith<\/a> singled to right field. Yoshida came to the plate and worked his way to a 3-2 count. Down to his last strike, the lefty stroked a ball over the head of Juan Soto<\/a> for a homer. Boston sat down the Yanks in the ninth, scored two in the 10th, thanks to Ceddanne Rafaela<\/a>, and won the game. It was one of the Red Sox best wins of 2024, and Yoshida was at the heart of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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WITH TWO OUTS AND TWO STRIKES DOWN TWO RUNS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH, MASATAKA YOSHIDA WITH A TWO RUN BOMB AND THE RED SOX HAVE TIED IT!!!! pic.twitter.com\/aBqKqujjBi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) July 6, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n