Masataka Yoshida has been a difference-maker for Team Japan throughout the first round of the World Baseball Classic in precisely the way the 2026 Red Sox need.

Japan’s formidable lineup, which features baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani in the leadoff spot, was having an uncharacteristically quiet day at the plate Sunday. Australia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Less than two innings later it was gone, on Yoshida’s go-ahead two-run homer off left-hander Jon Kennedy, and Japan won 4-3 to improve to clinch Pool C’s top seed.

So far through Japan’s undefeated first three games Yoshida is 5 for 10 with three extra-base hits, four scored and six runs batted in. He has two of Japan’s six home runs in their 3-0 start to the tournament. And if he continues at this pace, he could break the World Baseball Classic RBI record he set during the last tournament in 2023, when he collected 13 RBI en route to Japan’s championship.

The Red Sox offense isn’t projected to be particularly powerful, Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman, and lefty killer Rob Refsnyder gone, and fellow lefty specialist Romy Gonzalez injured and potentially headed for shoulder surgery. This version of Yoshida would drastically improve those projections.

The issue is how Yoshida fits in Boston’s everyday equation. He’s been playing left field for Japan, but Boston’s outfield ranks are crowded as is between Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela. Manager Alex Cora has a back-to-back Gold Glove winner in Abreu in right-field and a ‘25 Gold Glove winner in Rafaela in center, and plans to play them as much as possible.

Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox in December 2022, played 87 games in left and served as designated hitter for 49 games during his ‘23 MLB rookie season. Due to a shoulder injury (and ensuing right labral repair surgery during the 2024 offseason) and the outfield space issue, he DH’ed 145 games and played just seven in the outfield (six in left) over the last two seasons.

Japan has one final pool game at the Tokyo Dome against Czechia (6 a.m. ET Tuesday) before they fly to Miami for the quarterfinals at loanDepot Park.

The Red Sox, who are currently without Yoshida and the aforementioned four outfielders due to the WBC, are less than three weeks away from Opening Day and no closer to figuring out how to make these roster pieces fit.

More World Baseball Classic highlights

Nate Eaton stunned the baseball world in Saturday night’s Revolutionary War rematch between Great Britain and the United States when he led off the game with a first-pitch home run off Tarik Skubal. Great Britain’s advantage over Team USA was short-lived, though. Eaton was the only GB hitter to connect against the back-to-back American League Cy Young award-winner, who yielded the homer and a single to the Red Sox roster candidate and nothing more in three innings with five strikeouts. Scoreless through four innings, Team USA erupted for nine runs between innings five and seven to win 9-1. … Eaton also went 2 for 5 with two runs scored in Britain’s 7-4 loss to Italy on Sunday. … Roman Anthony went 1 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts in USA’s win over GB. Through two games he is 3 for 8 with two runs, two RBI, three walks and two strikeouts. … Wilyer Abreu had an RBI single in Venezuela’s 11-3 victory over Israel Saturday night. … Ceddanne Rafaela went 0 for 3 batting leadoff in the Netherlands’ 12-1 loss to the Dominican Republic on Sunday. … 22-year-old lefty prospect Eduardo Rivera dazzled in Puerto Rico’s 4-3 extra-inning victory over Panama Saturday night. Over his 4 ⅓ inning start he yielded just one earned run on one hit, walked one and struck out five on 56 pitches (34 strikes).