Masataka Yoshida scouting report and fit with the Mariners
Masataka Yoshida scouting report and fit with the Mariners
Masataka Yoshida was posted today by the Orix Buffaloes, giving him 45 days to sign with an MLB team. Could the Mariners bring him to Seattle?
On Tuesday morning Jeff Passan alerted the baseball world that Japanese star Masataka Yoshida was posted by the Orix Buffaloes, giving him 45 days to sign with an MLB team. The posting window was 30 days but was recently extended to a 45-day period.
According to a tweet from Ryan Divish and other reports throughout the offseason, Seattle has done their research on both Japanese players currently available.
Jerry Dipoto said today on MLB Network that he would be “shocked” if the team didn’t sign a free agent this offseason. They have listed needs that are pretty explicit at this point. Seattle needs a player who can play the corner infield spots plus an outfielder. They would like the corner infielder to also play the outfield spots or for the outfielder to be a right-handed bat to protect guys like Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and Cade Marlowe.
So essentially Seattle could be in the market for a left-handed outfielder, especially if they get a first base/DH type as well. Enter Masataka Yoshida.
Yoshida enters the MLB free agent frenzy as a 29 year old coming off a season in the NPB where he slashed .335/.447/.561. Japanese bats have struggled when coming over, and very few have had real success in the major leagues since guys like Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki.
Over the course of seven seasons in the NPB, the outfielder has made his offensive presence felt. He owns a career line of .327/.421/.539 in Japan with 133 home runs. His swing is violent and majestic, and when he connects for home runs they are electric. Yoshida certainly gets the most out of his 5-8 frame.
The Japanese outfielder is not known for his power, but for his hit tool. He sprays the ball over the field and drives the ball in the gaps very well. He would likely have 12-15 home run power but could produce a high amount of doubles.
Seiya Suzuki was the most recent Japanese player to make the leap with the Chicago Cubs last season. He put together a decent season, posting a .262 average and a 116 WRC+.
Yoshida has less power but higher on-base skills than Suzuki but also does not have the same defensive capabilities. He is likely to translate into a below average defender at a corner outfield spot.
He has a higher floor than most of the hitters who have come over, but it is still so hard to project. Bats from the NPB have struggled mightily to translate in the past few years and even when they do it takes a while for the player to grow into the MLB game.
Suzuki earned a 5-year commitment from the Chicago Cubs worth 85 million dollars last offseason. Suzuki was just 27 years old at the time, and Yoshida enters free agency at 29.
The AAV may be comparable but the years could be shorter in a deal for Yoshida. I would expect a 4-year deal or potentially 5 years with a lower total than Suzuki received.
If Seattle believes in the bat signing Yoshida would be an excellent move to give the team offense going into 2022. Other teams interested in Yoshida are the Blue Jays, Giants and Yankees. He is an exciting player who will have many suitors, and the Mariners should be at the top of the list.