Kazuma Okamoto has impressed in his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had two hits in the Blue Jays’ Opening Day win against the Athletics, including the hit that started the Blue Jays’ ninth-inning rally.

On Sunday, Okamoto hit his first home run in MLB to help the Blue Jays start their season with a series sweep of the Athletics and added another last night against the Rockies late in the game.

So far, so good for Okamoto, but the expectations are high.

With Bo Bichette starting a new chapter with the New York Mets, the Blue Jays need to make up for his lost offence, and Okamoto was the most significant bat the Blue Jays signed during the offseason. During his 11 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, he slashed .277/.361/.521 and led the NBP in home runs in 2020, 2021, and 2023. Comparatively, Okamoto has had a much stronger start to the season compared to Bichette. The former Blue Jay has only had two hits in 19 at-bats in his first four games with the Mets, while striking out eight times against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

While Okamoto’s stats from NBP are impressive, there will likely be a little bit of learning as he adjusts to major league pitchers. He looked strong against the Athletics, amassing four hits in 12 at-bats. However, Fangraphs ranks the Athletics 24th in pitching depth. It will be a few series before Okamoto is tested against a truly strong rotation. The Blue Jays’ second series of the season is against the Colorado Rockies, who have the lowest-ranked pitching depth. After the Rockies, the Blue Jays face the Chicago White Sox, whose pitching ranks 28th, according to Fangraphs.

The first real test for Okamoto against an elite rotation will be during the World Series rematch between the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers in early April. That will certainly be an emotionally-charged series, with the Dodgers returning to Toronto for the first time since winning the World Series in extra innings of Game 7 against the Blue Jays.

The good news for Okamoto is that by then, he’ll have more experience under his belt against MLB pitching.

However, the Dodgers have one of the best starting rotations in the majors, which will present a far more difficult challenge for Okamoto. The Dodgers also have one of the strongest bullpens in MLB, far exceeding that of the Athletics, Rockies, and White Sox. The easier early schedule doesn’t allow the Blue Jays to see how Okamoto will perform against a contending rotation before what is surely one of the most highly anticipated series of the season.

The Blue Jays have played around with Okamoto’s spot in the lineup. On Friday and Monday, he batted seventh. On Saturday, he was moved up to the clean-up against the lefty Jeffrey Springs, and batted fifth on Sunday. During his time in NBP, Okamoto had better numbers against left-handed pitchers compared to righties, considering the opposite hand matchup. In 2025, his WRC+ against lefties was 263, compared to 186 against righties. The Blue Jays have played around with Addison Barger in the clean-up spot in the first and third games of the season, but his struggles against lefties meant that he did not start on Saturday, and Okamoto took his spot in the lineup.

One of the biggest questions about Okamoto’s transition to MLB is how he will adapt to the higher velocity of Major League pitchers. His home run on Sunday came on a 94 mph fastball by Luis Morales. His next shot came off a 99 MPH from Chase Dollander. It’s a small sample size, but it’s a positive sign regarding his ability to catch the heat. Projections for Okamoto have him hitting around 20 home runs in 2026, which would’ve put him fourth among the Blue Jays last season in a tie with Daulton Varsho.

Another question that Okamoto will need to answer this season is the number of strikeouts.

During his time in NBP, he was known as a player who rarely struck out. In 2025, he had an 11.3 percent strikeout rate. In that way, he fits in well with the Blue Jays’ plate approach. Last season, the Blue Jays had the lowest strikeout percentage in MLB (17.3%). Against the Athletics, Okamoto struck out four times and added two more against the Rockies in the opening game. Early in the season, he’ll likely strike out more often than usual as he adjusts to MLB pitching. As time goes on, however, he should fit in quite well with the Blue Jays, who are known for making a lot of contact without striking out a ton.

Okamoto has had a strong start to his Blue Jays career. On top of getting his first hit and home run, he’s scored the game-winning run on opening day after starting a ninth-inning rally with two outs. Defensively, he’s looked good at third base, strengthening an already very effective Blue Jays infield.

While Okamoto is yet to be tested against the teams that will pose the biggest threat to the Blue Jays in 2026, he’s given fans plenty to be optimistic about.

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