New York Yankees hoping to pair Japanese slugger Masataka Yoshida with superstar Aaron Judge
Masataka Yoshida is one of the biggest offensive threats in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. Yoshida is a left-handed hitting outfielder who plays for the Orix Buffaloes. There were rumors that many MLB teams would be calling his camp when the World Series ended.
One of the teams that has reached out to the Japanese All-Star is the New York Yankees. They think Masataka Yoshida would be an excellent compliment to Aaron Judge in the Bronx outfield.
"He's as legit as they come," said former MLB outfielder Joe McCarthy on Masataka Yoshida's raw talent at the plate
On-base king Yoshida, an OF, interests Yankees
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Masataka Yoshida shined for the Buffaloes this season. When they won the championship earlier this year, he hit .326 with 21 home runs. His on-base percentage of .447 would be a huge help to a New York offense that struggled at the plate.
Yoshida won the Japan Pacific League Batting Title in 2020 and 2021. He's regarded as one of the best hitters in the league.
29-year-old outfielder Masataka Yoshida has a 1.007 OPS in 121 games in Japan this season
He plans to sign with an MLB team this offseason https://t.co/XKoWRyxQYB
Players coming over from Japan's Nippon League must have nine years of professional experience to gain international free agency. If a player does not have nine years of experience, they can request to be posted. Once their team accepts and posts them, MLB teams have 45 days to negotiate and come up with a deal that both sides agree on.
The Yankees won't be the only team trying to secure Masataka Yoshida. Many teams around the league will be calling his phone once the Orix Buffaloes post him.
Masataka Yoshida will make any team immediately better
Yoshida Masataka is a force to be reckoned with at the plate. He would be a perfect fit for the Yankees. He and Aaron Judge would be a threat at the top of the lineup.
The Seattle Mariners are another team that is likely to give the Japanese slugger a call. They're in need of an outfielder for a lower rate than what Judge is going to go for.
The San Francisco Giants also makes a lot of sense for Yoshida. They're also searching for an outfielder and are rumored to be one of the teams going after Judge. If they can't land Judge or decide the price is too steep, shifting their attention to Yoshida could be a play.
Yoshida is sure to pique the interests of many teams around the league. It will be interesting to see which team lands him.