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Masataka Yoshida’s World Baseball Classic Performance Complicates Things for Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Opening Day is closer than we think, and the Red Sox will have to make roster decisions soon. Several players are impressing during Spring Training, and Boston may have some fresh faces on the team in 2026.
While he’s had limited Spring Training at-bats, Masataka Yoshida’s play in the World Baseball Classic is creating headlines and questions.
Representing Samurai Japan in the WBC, Yoshida has played like a true MVP. After setting a tournament record in 2023 with 13 RBIs, he already has six RBIs, two home runs, and is slashing 571/.625/1.143. He also hit a triple for the first time since 2023, his rookie season with the Red Sox.
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Japan, the defending champions, is one of the top teams in the tournament.
Manager Alex Cora will have to answer a few questions following the WBC, including the most obvious: Where does Yoshida fit with the 2026 Red Sox?
“We’re about to find out, right?” Cora said via MLB.com. “When you hit in this league, you always find ways to play those guys. The cool thing is that we have good players here. It’s up to me to make it work, and we will make it work.”
After his performance in the 2023 WBC, Yoshida slashed .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs in 140 games in Boston. The next year, he was limited to 108 games, and in 2025, he played in 55. Injuries have limited Yoshida from reaching his full potential in the big leagues.
Heading into Opening Day, the Red Sox's outfield/DH spots are occupied by Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafeala is the only righty of that group.
Yoshida initially needed to fight for the left field spot. The 32-year-old has woken up during the WBC, which excites Red Sox fans who have waited to see him reach his potential in Boston. He did produce in the latter half of last season.
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Is it too little too late? He’s in the final two years of a five-year deal. The Red Sox could trade him, as he provides plenty of value. The WBC has proven that. If nothing comes from that, he may force their hand and make him a lineup regular.
It’s a “problem” any team, including Cora and the Red Sox, doesn’t mind having. It’s up to a healthy Yoshida to transfer his efforts in the WBC over to Fenway Park.
“He likes it. He likes it here, too,” Cora said of Yoshida's WBC performance. “He's been banged up, he's been hurt, and now that we got the healthy version, it should be fun.”
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