Role
Masataka Yoshida was the primary DH for most of 2026, starting 62 games there and five in left field. He led off during the club's summer run, per Boston.com. A left hamstring strain on Aug. 15 ended his regular season, and he didn't play in the Wild Card Series. His five-year contract runs through 2027, so this is his last guaranteed season in Boston.
Outlook
He hit .274/.347/.399 with five homers in 87 games. That's a useful on-base number, and he walked 28 times against 33 strikeouts. The power never fully came back after his 2025 shoulder surgery. His barrel rate was 3.4% and his slugging percentage has been under .400 in each of the last two seasons. He was hitting well before the injury: .300 in July and .326 in August. Nearly all of his work came against right-handers (267 of 297 plate appearances).
Our take: he's a 33-year-old DH who makes contact and doesn't run, and the Red Sox need power at that spot. He'll still have a job against righties, with Mickey Gasper sharing it. We expect about a .750 OPS, then a goodbye after the season.