MASATAKA YOSHIDA DOES NOT want to be the American League Rookie of the Year, and his reasoning is simple: He doesn't view himself as a rookie.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder spent the first seven years of his professional baseball career in Japan, where he was a Japan Series champion and a four-time NPB All-Star, plus the winner of two Pacific League batting titles and five Pacific League Best Nine Awards. All that, plus his recent World Baseball Classic title, make him feel overqualified for MLB rookie honors, even if he's a leading contender in Las Vegas.