Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Masataka Yoshida

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Masataka Yoshida made an impact.

Masataka Yoshida, nicknamed "Macho Man," is a Japanese professional baseball player currently playing for the Boston Red Sox of MLB as a designated hitter and left fielder. Prior to joining the Red Sox, he played for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2014: Haarlem Baseball Week

In 2014, Yoshida represented the Japan national baseball team in the Haarlem Baseball Week.

2015: Drafted by Orix Buffaloes

In 2015, Masataka Yoshida was selected by the Orix Buffaloes in the first round of the NPB draft after playing college baseball for Aoyama Gakuin University.

2015: Summer Universiade

In 2015, Yoshida represented the Japan national baseball team in the Summer Universiade.

2016: First NPB Season

During the 2016 season, Yoshida played his first season in the NPB for Orix, achieving a .290 batting average with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs in 63 games.

2016: NPB Career Start

From 2016, Yoshida played seven seasons with Orix where he compiled a .327 batting average along with 467 RBI and 133 home runs in 762 games.

2017: Continued NPB Performance

In 2017, Yoshida played 64 games for Orix, batting .311 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs.

2018: Continued NPB Performance

In 2018, Yoshida played 143 games for Orix, batting .321 with an aggregate 55 home runs and 171 RBI for the two seasons.

February 27, 2019: Selected for Exhibition Games Against Mexico

On February 27, 2019, Yoshida was selected to represent Japan in the 2019 exhibition games against Mexico.

October 1, 2019: Selected for WBSC Premier12

On October 1, 2019, Yoshida was selected to represent Japan in the 2019 WBSC Premier12.

2019: Continued NPB Performance

In 2019, Yoshida played 143 games for Orix, batting .322 with an aggregate 55 home runs and 171 RBI for the two seasons.

2019: Exhibition Games Against Mexico

In 2019, Yoshida represented the Japan national baseball team in exhibition games against Mexico and the WBSC Premier12.

2020: Continued NPB Performance

In 2020, Yoshida had a batting average of .350, and a total of 56 home runs and 224 RBI in 349 games played across the three seasons.

December 7, 2022: Posted by Orix

On December 7, 2022, Yoshida was posted by Orix, making him available to all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams for contract negotiations.

2022: NPB Career Summary

By 2022, Yoshida had played seven seasons with Orix where he compiled a .327 batting average along with 467 RBI and 133 home runs in 762 games.

2022: Continued NPB Performance

In 2022, Yoshida had a batting average of .335, and a total of 56 home runs and 224 RBI in 349 games played across the three seasons.

2022: Japan Series Game 5 Performance

In 2022, during Game 5 of the Japan Series, Yoshida hit two home runs, including a walk-off, leading Orix to win the series against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in seven games (with one game ending in a tie).

April 23, 2023: Two Home Runs in One Inning

On April 23, 2023, Yoshida hit two home runs in the same inning, including a grand slam, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

2023: World Baseball Classic Performance

In 2023, Yoshida represented Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He set a tournament record for RBIs with 13 and was named to the All-Classic Team at the end of the tournament.