The Yankees are showing interest in outfielder Masataka Yoshida, an outstanding hitter with a career slash line of .326/.419/.538. Yoshida would fit the Yankees as he is a left-handed hitter and the type of contact hitter they’d like. Think Andrew Benintendi with much more power.
“I’m aware of him,” was all GM Brian Cashman would say about Yoshida. But another Yankees person said they are indeed interested.
Masataka Yoshida in 2019. Getty ImagesThe Yankees’ top outfield target is obviously Aaron Judge, but they’d like two outfielders, with the second one (assuming they can re-sign Judge) preferably left-handed. Yoshida, 29, drew attention with a .447 on-base percentage this past season.
“He’s as legit as they come,” former MLB OF Joe McCarthy who played in Japan, told The Post’s Joel Sherman. “He didn’t slump for five months. He can go gap to gap. He just constantly barrels-up pitches.”
Masataka Yoshida of the Orix Buffaloes hits a game-winning home run on Oct. 27, 2022. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty ImagesYoshida, who hit 21 homers and walked 80 times to go with only 41 strikeouts for the champion Orix Buffaloes, is due to be posted by his Japanese team. Once he is posted, MLB teams will have 45 days to negotiate with him.
