Masataka Yoshida is on fire at the plate

BOSTON -- It was a little more than two weeks ago that Masataka Yoshida's batting average was sitting below .200. Many were wondering if the new Red Sox outfielder would ever figure out Major League pitching.

Fast forward to the present, and Masataka Yoshida has very much figured out Major League pitching. Yoshida is riding a 13-game hitting streak for Boston, which is the longest active streak in the majors.

Yoshida picked up two more hits in Boston's 8-3 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, including a beautiful RBI double that he laced down the left field line in the seventh inning. It was his third straight multi-hit game, and his eighth during this current streak.

He's now slashing .431/.474/.765 during his streak, collecting 22 hits in 57 plate appearances. That includes five doubles and four homers, after hitting just one of each over his first 13 games this season. Yoshida has driven in 15 runs for Boston since his streak began and touched home plate 10 times himself, while striking out just six times.

The Red Sox are 9-4 during Yoshida's streak and have won five straight. 

Yoshida was hitting just .167 when this streak began, and is now up to .303 for the season. That average, along with his .391 on-base percentage, 30 hits, and six doubles on the year currently rank first among American League rookies. He's second among AL rookies with five homers, 21 RBI, and 18 runs scored on the season. 

While Yoshida struggled to start his career in Major League Baseball after signing a five-year, $90 million deal to come over from Japan, he's figured it out at the plate and is racking up the hits for Boston. If he keeps it up, he'll have a good shot at becoming just the seventh Red Sox player to earn Rookie of the Year honors come season's end.