All of those changes look aimed at reacting to getting busted inside. Were they frequently coming in hard to Masa?
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Red Sox sign Masataka Yoshida
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
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Interesting to read he had to adjust to fastballs up in the zone as that's a relatively recent development in the majors that I guess hasn't made its way to Japan. Makes a lot of sense when I recall his swings early in the season and the slow rollers to second that almost looked like he was chopping down at the ball. Now everything is right on the button.
There is something really baseball-beautiful about watching a guy demolish a bad pitch to the triangle for a HR in his first AB and then later in the game whack an outside fastball through the hole on the left side.
Masa is simply smashing the ball wherever it is, not trying to smash it where he wishes it was. And he is drawing walks.
The first adjustment has clearly gone in his favor, we’ll see what happens when the league adjusts back, but approach-wise the signs are very good.
Masa is simply smashing the ball wherever it is, not trying to smash it where he wishes it was. And he is drawing walks.
The first adjustment has clearly gone in his favor, we’ll see what happens when the league adjusts back, but approach-wise the signs are very good.
Now last 14 games: 62 PA, 13 r, 5 2b, 5 hr, 18 rbi, .446/.484/.804/1.288
Holy smokes the dude is on fire. And again, it's consistent. A 14 game hitting streak, with multiple hits in 9 of the 14 games. On base more than once in all but two of those games. Crazy.
And if we push things back far enough, aren't we all part of one original group or person dating back to Africa? And aren't so many of all tied to neanderthals as well? I suppose so. But I do not think we should all go around thinking our links to them or Charlemagne are meaningful today.
“I can pick out the balls that I should swing at, so I think that’s why I’m doing well,” said Yoshida. “I'm focused on my batting form, especially my stance. So, stance-wise, I'm stepping with my right foot back a little bit. Then, it makes me more comfortable to see the ball. I haven’t changed anything swing-wise.”
Looks like the foot is the factor and the change is with the set-up (stance) not the swing. I find it interesting that Yoshida is discussing seeing the ball better when he was not swinging at pitches out of the zone during his mini-slump. "Seeing the ball" is the equivalent catch-all to "tipping pitches"; easier to point to than the fact that your timing was off or your mechanics were messed up.
Whatever he's doing... keep doing it. This stretch of hitting has been such a joy to watch.
We do have to remember that he's a 29 year old pro. Dude has been around the block. And even though he's new to MLB, pretty clearly Japan has some pretty awesome pitching and he's got a ton of experience. This is no ordinary rookie. He's a seasoned pro. And he sure looks like it.
The question I have is whether or not this is the peak or if he has another gear in him. Clearly, I’d gladly take this version but if that power stroke continues…well, that would be exciting.
He's not going to hit for more power than this. He's on pace for 36 homers over a 162-game season. He's never done that before, not even really close. I would expect all the numbers to drop and for him to settle in around .310 avg, and end up with about 20-25 homers, which would be more than any of us could have reasonably hoped for going into the season.
True but he’s hitting bombs to the triangle now. I think 30 HRs is within reach but agree that 20-25 is probably more likely, which is still very good.
He might. Some of those Pacific League parks are gigantic, and now he plays in the AL East, where several of the parks are very power friendly.
A lot of NPB parks (including the Kyocera dome, Orix’ home park) have the same symmetrical OF dimensions, with 400 ft to CF, 380 to the power alleys, and 330 down the lines. So that’s basically Fenway’s RF on both sides, a bit shallower in straightaway center, but very deep down the lines and to the alleys.
I don't know. His slugging has mostly been around .550 in Japan. His AB/HR number:
Age, AB, HR, AB/HR
22, 265, 11, 24
23, 242, 13, 18
24, 514, 26, 19.7
25, 521, 29, 17.9
26, 408, 14, 29.1
27, 393, 21, 18.7
28, 417, 21, 19.8
29, 104, 6, 23.3
Get him 550 ABs at a rate of 19, you're looking at 28 HRs. At a rate of 23, its 24 HRs.
The other major factor would be Fenway - adding or taking away HRs compared to the average Japanese stadium, or even his home park in Japan.
(Edit: scooped.)
Also, really high walls. I couldn't find a height measurement but this is Kyocera dome.
Why isn't it fair? I mean, I used to feel that it shortchanged the kids coming up from the minors, but when you think about it that's a bit of an illusion. What if a club holds someone back for an extra development year? What if a club calls someone up early and they struggle in the first half? What if an indy-ball guy develops his game, signs with a club and comes in as a 28 year old?
ROY isn't there to vet "true talent level at age 24" or something. It's simply best new player to MLB, regardless of age or origin.
It's literally called the "Jackie Robinson Award." He was a 28 year old rookie when he won the ROY award in 1947, having already played at the highest level in another league.
The Athletic with another Masataka Yoshida article
https://theathletic.com/4490790/2023/05/05/masataka-yoshida-bryce-harper-meet/?source=emp_shared_article&access_token=223370&redirected=1
To my eye the open stance is less about vision and more about balance and body position at contact. Here are 4 swings from Hoshida. First two are with the even stance and the second two are with the open stance. His front foot lands in the same spot either way, but in these examples (sss warning) it looks like the subtle weight transfer toward the plate keeps his body more upright and his hands more connected. He goes from his head moving away from the plate and pulling off the ball to a solid connected swing.
https://www.mlb.com/video/00ufmmu41qO2KNWXx356/reels/yoshida-then-and-now?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share
https://www.mlb.com/video/00ufmmu41qO2KNWXx356/reels/yoshida-then-and-now?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share
I don't see it as an age thing, but I do feel like the spirit of the award is for a guy who has never played in an MLB-quality league, not sure where Japan fits on the spectrum between AAA and MLB. Not a hill I'll die on though, especially since I believe the Sox would qualify for draft bonuses if he wins? Or was he not mentioned on the correct MLB top 100 prospect lists?
Gee it looks kind of nice in there. I've only been to Koshien a couple times from my Kyoto days, we never made it to a Buffaloes game.
Seems like all of the teams play at sea level there too. Does the ball carry anywhere or is it just like playing in Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park all season?
That last line is nuts. This is like Minor League Wander level stuff.
I know this is off topic, but I just want to say how disappointed I am that James Outman is a position player and Zach Pop is a pitcher.
There is an entire human sewer on this board for this bullshit. Please go there to complain about how terrible everyone is. Thanks. The rest of us are having our joy in watching Yoshi destroy MLB pitching interrupted.
The line about the Phillies not needing an outfielder made me realize that Yoshida is, in some ways, filling the role Schwarber would have had we retained him (and eventually moved on from JDM).The Athletic with another Masataka Yoshida article
https://theathletic.com/4490790/2023/05/05/masataka-yoshida-bryce-harper-meet/?source=emp_shared_article&access_token=223370&redirected=1
While I was among those who were a little bummed to see Schwarbombs in Philly instead of Boston last year—and the damage he did in the WBC this spring—I am beginning to think the Sox may have played this perfectly with Yoshida (who himself did ok in the WBC).
SSS and all, but Masa is OPS-ing at .948 in his first 120 MLB at-bats.
He OPS-ed at .957 in his 7 years in the NPB.
So far, he seems to be what Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox scouting and development folks thought he was. Perhaps some of the snickering in the industry over his contract figures will begin to dissipate?
He OPS-ed at .957 in his 7 years in the NPB.
So far, he seems to be what Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox scouting and development folks thought he was. Perhaps some of the snickering in the industry over his contract figures will begin to dissipate?
Current top 3 odds for AL ROY on Draft Kings:
Masa: +225 (0.9 WAR, .948 OPS)
Jung: +350 (0.7 WAR, .866 OPS)
Volpe: +700 (0.8 WAR, .681 OPS)
Jung is going to put up sexy power numbers but the rest of his numbers aren't too impressive - he's Renfroeing right now. Most of Volpe's value is tied into his defense right now but I expect that bat to heat up at some point after his frigid start. Even with some regression, I think Masa has a great shot at ROY, if he stays healthy.
Masa: +225 (0.9 WAR, .948 OPS)
Jung: +350 (0.7 WAR, .866 OPS)
Volpe: +700 (0.8 WAR, .681 OPS)
Jung is going to put up sexy power numbers but the rest of his numbers aren't too impressive - he's Renfroeing right now. Most of Volpe's value is tied into his defense right now but I expect that bat to heat up at some point after his frigid start. Even with some regression, I think Masa has a great shot at ROY, if he stays healthy.
Looks like he will be rookie of the year. Strange a lot of the so called baseball experts like Keith Law got it wrong.
Yoshida isn't eligible for the PPI bonus, he didn't make two of the three main prospect top 100 lists. It seems a little harsh that one rookie could generate a bonus for his team but another can't, but the idea behind the PPI incentive was to keep pre-arb players from being stashed in the minors in order to hold back the arb/FA clock and I doubt anyone thinks the Red Sox needed to be incentivized not to start Yoshida in Worcester on opening day.
Actually, I loved that video. Yes, his voice is annoying, but it was a wonderful reminder of all the ways that Masa is finding to make us love him.
Of the 90 pitches he only swung at 30, but still pretty impressive that he made contact with each swing. It also says something that he had the discipline to only swing at 30.