Kazuma Okamoto signed a four-year, $60MM deal with the Blue Jays this offseason after a long tenure as one of Japan’s top pitchers. Compared to Munetaka Murakami again Tatsuya Imaihis deals with the White Sox and Astros were well below industry expectations, Okamoto’s contract was nearly in line with MLBTR’s projected four-year, $64MM. Early in his major league career, the third baseman is proving to be a capable player.
Okamoto was well known for his power when he managed the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He hit a total of 247 home runs from 2018-25, including 30 or more in every season from 2018-23. Surprisingly, Okamoto achieved this while also hitting at rates that would have been well above average by MLB standards. He didn’t strike out more than 18.8% of the time in every season from 2020-25, and he went back to 11.3% in 2025.
Some adjustments were expected as Okamoto transitioned to the Majors. Even in that context, he was generally expected to be a solid hitter with better than average contact and power, and serviceable defense at the hot corner. Early signs are good. In his first 128 plate appearances, Okamoto hit .228/.313/.430 with seven home runs and a 107 wRC+. His 29.7% strikeout rate is higher than the Jays would like, but Okamoto is also walking at a 10.9% clip and has a league-average .320 wOBA by 11 points. Quite simply, he can contact most people, but he keeps going and does enough damage on contact to make up for it.
Okamoto also calms concerns about his struggles against high velocity throws. As noted by Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, Okamoto was inconsistent with fastballs thrown at 94 MPH or higher in Japan. Not so in 2026. Per Statcast, Okamoto is hitting .303/.361/.636 against four-seamers 94 MPH and above, with a .428 wOBA in those plate appearances. In comparison, the league mark against 94 MPH+ four-seamers is .233/.333/.398 with a .330 wOBA.
That Okamoto is adapting well to stopping high speed is good news for Toronto. The 29-year-old has been a key player for them over the winter Bo Bichette leave the Mets for once Kyle Tucker rejected the club’s $350MM offer on a temporary deal with the Dodgers. The result was swapping Bichette for Okamoto, creating a low risk for what was a Top-5 offense in the Majors in 2025. So far this year, the Jays offense is a Bottom-10 unit with a 92 wRC+. That’s not Okamoto’s fault, as he is Ernie Clement (108 wRC+) are the team’s only above-average hitters outside of Guerrero. If you also consider Okamoto holding his own on defense, he looks like a very good player all around.
With Murakami dominating at the plate for the White Sox, Okamoto’s output may sound underwhelming in comparison. That said, he doesn’t need to be an otherworldly player to live up to his contract, or even his NPB record. By most estimates, Okamoto’s average annual salary of $15MM is equivalent to 1.5-2 WAR – that is, more respectable average than All-Star. So far, he’s hitting hard and providing serviceable defense, as expected. There is room for growth, namely, cutting down on strikeouts and hitting seams that aren’t four balls, with Okamoto hitting just .069/.182/.069. Overall, given the size of his contract and who he replaces on the roster, Okamoto has been as valuable as expected.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images
