Masataka Yoshida had a frustrating season in 2024, being relegated to a platoon role in the offense. Even worse, Yoshida didn’t see time in the outfield, so he was a designated hitter who wouldn’t always hit.
Certainly a significant dropoff from Yoshida’s previous role as an outfield arm with a ton of offensive upside. The 31-year-old Japanese product batted .289 in 2023, his first season in the majors. He launched 15 homers and recorded 72 RBIs that season.
2024 was a different story.
Yoshida wasn’t always healthy, and even when he was, he didn’t see nearly the same usage rate in his second season.