Nippon Professional Baseball has seen a lot of elite pitchers make the transition to the foremost leagues and expertise fast success. Los Angeles Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto carried his group to a World Series win in 2025, and Chicago Cubs standout Shota Imanaga contended for the Cy Young award as a rookie in 2024.
There have been far fewer hitters to efficiently make that transition lately, however the Toronto Blue Jays are betting Kazuma Okamoto can break that mould after reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Japanese third baseman, in accordance to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
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Terms of the deal haven’t been introduced.
Okamoto, 29, comes to the majors after a incredible season with the Yomiuri Giants by which he hit .327/.416/.598 with 15 house runs in simply 69 video games. He missed time due to a left elbow harm, which restricted his numbers. In the seven seasons prior to 2025, Okamoto averaged 33.1 house runs and 138.5 video games performed per season, so he has confirmed to be each productive and sturdy.
Okamoto, a 3rd baseman, brings a wonderful plate method to the majors. He usually hits for a excessive common, with a double-digit stroll price and prodigious pop. He’s ready to do all that regardless of a reasonably low strikeout price, making him a reasonably full hitter.
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Some of his numbers may regress within the majors, although it is value noting Okamoto set some profession highs on offense final season regardless of it being down throughout NPB. Some of his excellence got here thanks to improved numbers against velocity, per FanGraphs, a crucial talent for any participant coming to MLB.
Two issues may maintain Okamoto again within the majors. The first is his age. He will likely be 30 in June, and there is an argument to be made that he is already within the decline part of his profession. He might need just a few seasons of robust manufacturing left earlier than his expertise extra naturally erode.
The second entails the latest monitor report of star hitters from NPB becoming a member of the majors. There hasn’t been a big pattern lately, with simply Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida. Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, in fact, although it is unattainable to evaluate him to different gamers given his two-way worth. While Suzuki has established himself as a strong middle-of-the-order bat on group, Yoshida has struggled to discover his footing within the majors.
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That stated, Okamota has some expertise excelling in opposition to major-league gamers, albeit in an extremely small pattern. He was a pressure within the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan, posting a 1.278 OPS within the occasion, per MLB.com. He performed a key position in Japan profitable the occasion, homering off Team USA pitcher Kyle Freeland within the championship recreation.
Prior to the beginning of the 2025 MLB season, Okamoto and the Yomiuri Giants confronted off in opposition to the Cubs as Chicago ready to open its season in Tokyo. Okamoto went 2-for-3 in opposition to the Cubs, with two RBI and a strikeout.
With the Blue Jays, Okamoto will likely be out to show that success can proceed in a bigger pattern.