Korea's 136.1 billion Japanese hitter who hit a home run against Cho Byung-hyun, hitless in the opening five games of the MLB → Lee Jung-hoo's sluggish performance is a "cute action."

*This content was translated by AI.

Outfielder Yoshida, who showed off his force by hitting a home run against South Korean national pitcher Cho Byung-hyun (24, SSG Landers) at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March Masataka (33, Boston Red Sox) fell into a deep slump after the opening of the Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite a whopping $90 million (about 136.1 billion won), he has recorded a devastating record of no hits in five consecutive games.

Yoshida started as the 3rd designated hitter in the away game of the "206 MLB" regular season against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on the 2nd (Korea time), but had no hits, one walk, and one strikeout in 3 at-bats.

As a result, Yoshida has played in five games since March 29 against the Cincinnati Reds, but has not produced a single hit, recording his worst performance of a batting average of 0.000 (no hits in 8 times at bat). With six walks alone, the OPS (on-base plus slugging) became 0.429.

There was no greatness at the time of the 2026 WBC held in March. Yoshida played as a key hitter for the Japanese national team in March. In particular, he left a strong impression on domestic fans by hitting the ball of Cho Byung-hyun, who took the mound as a relief pitcher for the national team in the bottom of the third inning with a 4-3 lead in the against South Korea / vs. Korea of Group C held on March 7. Yoshida, the fourth batter and left fielder, hit hard against Korean pitchers with two hits in four at-bats (one homer) and three RBIs.

Yoshida's final performance in 2026 WBC was 0.375 (6 hits in 16 at-bats) with two homers and six RBIs in five games. The OPS reached a whopping 1.257. Boston's sophisticated hitting skills and clutch abilities were the reason why it invested a large amount of $90 million (about 136.1 billion won) for five years of contract ahead of the 2023 season.

However, his early moves in the Major League this season are hopeless. The period of no hits is getting longer. Although he maintains a on-base percentage by walking, the weight of Boston's batters has fallen sharply as he did not even get a single, let alone a long shot, in the central lineup. Yoshida's outfield defense is also receiving poor reviews, making it even more fatal as he plays as a designated hitter. In the end, it is leading to Boston's poor performance. Boston also lost 4-6 to Houston on the 2nd, ranking lowest in the American League East with one win and five losses (0.167 winning percentage).

Yoshida's situation is even worse compared to Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), who is the same outfielder. This is because Lee Jung-hoo is showing his hitting instinct despite suffering the ups and downs of 0.077, while Yoshida continues his "March of Young (0)" at all. This is why there is a cynical response among domestic fans that "Lee Jung-hoo's slump was at the level of aegyo." Local fans are also cold-hearted. U.S. fans are mocking Yoshida on social media, saying, "Is she the god of walks from Japan?"

Korean and Japanese baseball fans are paying keen attention to the Major League to see if the "Japanese batting machine," which signed a huge contract of 136.1 billion won, will collapse as it is or whether it can provide an opportunity for a reversal.

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*This content was translated by AI.