ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets during warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 02, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays added plenty of new talent after reaching the World Series last year, but so far it hasn’t helped much in the standings.
The team brought in win-now free agents like Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to bolster the roster, but they have posted a losing record to open the season anyway. Still, with plenty of time to go, the Blue Jays can remain optimistic about their chances of returning to the Fall Classic, especially as their newest star infielder heats up.
After joining the team following numerous Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star nods in Japan, slugger Kazuma Okamoto leads the Blue Jays in total home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. That is particularly good news as he is looking to fill in for former franchise shortstop Bo Bichette, who left for the New York Mets in free agency.
“Kazuma Okamoto signed a four-year, $60MM deal with the Blue Jays this offseason after a long tenure as one of Japan’s top sluggers,” AJ Eustace noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “That Okamoto is adapting so well to high-velocity pitching is great news for Toronto. The 29-year-old was their main offensive addition in a winter that saw Bo Bichette leave for the Mets and Kyle Tucker spurn the club’s $350MM offer for a short-term pact with the (Los Angeles) Dodgers. The net result was swapping Bichette for Okamoto, creating some downside risk for what was a Top-5 offense in the Majors in 2025.”
But as Bichette and the Mets struggle, Okamoto is thriving to open up his season with the Blue Jays.
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Most recently, that meant matching the former shortstop in the franchise record books with an impressive display of power.
“Kazuma Okamoto is the second Blue Jays player to hit 10 home runs in the first 35 games of his career, joining Bo Bichette (2019),” MLB insider Francys Romero reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Blue Jays fans will recall that, in his debut season with the team, Bichette slashed .311/.358/.571 with 11 homers in just 46 games after being called up. Shortly thereafter, he went on to receive two All-Star nods and four seasons of MVP Award votes in his tenure with the team.
Ultimately, Okamoto might not rack up the same accomplishments that Bichette did, but if he can provide a signature moment in the World Series, like the home run Bichette hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, the Blue Jays will be happy with how their newest star has transitioned to the majors.
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