Masataka Yoshida has made a great impact for the Boston Red Sox this season, and he may have some recognition coming his way as a result. It is not recognition he wants, however.
Yoshida was dismissive of the possibility of winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2023, pointing out that he does not feel like a true rookie and that the award should go to someone else.
“I am not interested in Rookie of the Year because I have done years in Japan already,” Yoshida said through a translator Wednesday, via Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. “But it’s an honor.”
It is not often you will see a player openly suggest he has no business winning an award, but Yoshida has a point here. The outfielder had an accomplished career in Japan before moving to Boston this season, and he entered MLB at 29 years old. While he is a rookie by the technical definition, he has played professionally for years.
There is precedent that Yoshida will not like, however. Ichiro Suzuki won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2001 despite debuting at 27, and had a somewhat similar career arc to Yoshida.
On the basis of pure performance, it is hard to argue against Yoshida for the honor. He is hitting .318 with 7 home runs, and is the favorite for the award at the moment whether he wants it or not.
