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Masataka Yoshida 2024 Outlook: Jury Still Out on Boston's Japanese Import
1 year agoMasataka Yoshida looked excellent in the first half of 2023, slashing .316/.382/.492 with a 10.7 K% and 8.1 BB%. Then, he crashed and burned in the second half with a .254/.278/.386 line, 18.4 K%, and 2.9 BB%. The final line of .289/.338/.445 with 15 HR and eight steals across 580 PAs looks solid, but how he got there was concerning. Between his 26.9 FB%, 6.6% rate of Brls/BBE, and 92.9 mph average airborne exit velocity, it's difficult to project more HRs. Similarly, Yoshida's 26.2 ft./sec Statcast Sprint Speed was too low to expect a surge in his SB totals. That puts a lot of pressure on Yoshida's batting average to maintain fantasy relevancy, and his .269 xBA won't cut it. Atrocious defense limited Yoshida to just 0.6 fWAR despite solid offensive numbers, so consistent playing time could become hard to find. Yoshida is relatively affordable with an ADP of 171.72, but you can probably find more upside in comparatively-priced names such as Vinnie Pasquantino (172.13), Carlos Rodon (177.98), Trevor Story (178.80), or James Outman (182.03). A 30-year-old who might help your batting average while offering little elsewhere isn't a good use of a roster spot.
