If you hit well, even striking out becomes news. This is the story of Masataka Yoshida (Boston), who made his major league debut this year.
On the 10th (Korean time), in the game 메이저사이트against the Atlanta Braves in the ‘2023 Major League’ held at True Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Yoshida came out as the second hitter in left field and was silent with no hits in 5 at bats. He did not go on base for the first time since the match against Minnesota on the 19th of last month (no hit in 5 at-bats).
After a day off on the 20th, Yoshida started his streak of hitting streak by hitting 2 hits in 5 at-bats against Minnesota on the 21st of last month. His streak continued for 16 games with a multi-hit game against Philadelphia on the 8th. However, in the game against Atlanta on the 10th, he was hitless in 5 at-bats. He also struck out.
This strikeout became a hot topic. In his first six games of May, he went 12-for-25 with two home runs, never striking out. All of his first 34 swings from May 1, US date, hit the ball. It was an amazing contact ability that no swing was news.
Japan’s Nikkan Sports said after the game on the 10th, “The record for consecutive hits stopped at 16 games. Even for Yoshida, who was showing good performance, Charlie Morton, a veteran of 119 wins in the major leagues, was a strong adversary. He struggled with one pitch,” he reported.
It wasn’t just a strikeout, it was three consecutive swing strikeouts. Morton threw four straight curveballs in this at-bat. Yoshida singled out only the first pitch that deviated outward and hit the other three pitches in succession. It all went wrong.
MLB.com reported that Yoshida seemed to be a completely different hitter as of the 21st of last month, when his hitting streak began. During this 16-game span, he recorded 28 hits and 48 bases, the most in the major leagues.
Yoshida said, “I think he’s gotten better as he’s been able to pick out the balls he needs to swing.” He also explained, “He focuses on his stance. He gets into a position where he can see the ball comfortably. His swing hasn’t changed at all.”