A former All-Star that has seen Masataka Yoshida play in person believes the Japanese star has a similar skill set to superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
MLB free agency is open, and all of the top players on the market are either making trips around the country to be wined and dined or having chats on Zoom with organizations interested in giving them tens or hundreds of millions of dollars for many years ahead.
However, one player who has not officially jumped into the MLB free-agent market, but is expected to very soon, is Orix Buffaloes outfielder Masataka Yoshida. His team from the Nippon Professional Baseball League is expected to post him so he can take his talents to MLB.
However, when it comes to international talent — especially from Japan — there are many questions about how good they can truly be in MLB since there have been several hits and misses.
Well, a former multi-time All-Star who played in the NPB recently has seen what Yoshida can do and is a believer in his high-level talents.
Adam Jones showers praise on MLB free agent Masataka Yoshida
On Wednesday, Will Sammon of The Athletic published a piece on various opinions from around the baseball world on Yoshida, and one stood out in particular. Former Baltimore Orioles star outfielder and five-time All-Star Adam Jones played with Yoshida in 2020 and 2021 and believes he has comparable hitting abilities to one of the best outfielders currently in MLB.
“I say he’s like the Japanese Juan Soto. He can hit the ball to all fields, all speeds. Like Juan Soto, he hits everything — and walks. He doesn’t swing out of the zone.”
- Masataka Yoshida stats (career): 7 seasons, 135 HR, 474 RBI, .326/.419/.538
Masataka is a two-time batting champion in the NPB. During his career, the 29-year-old left-handed hitter posted some impressive stats. Since 2018, he’s earned 746 hits with just 234 strikeouts and has a career slash line of .327/.421/.539.
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