Kazuma Okamoto hits the first Blue Jays homer into the 500 level since Josh Donaldson on May 30, 2017. Brandon Lowe hit the previous two fifth-deck drives in Toronto, on July 25, 2024 and April 12, 2019.
Kazuma Okamoto was the Blue Jays’ lone power threat in 2026
Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 18, 2026, 10:43 EDT
In a season in which the Toronto Blue Jays struggled to hit home runs, Kazuma Okamoto’s power was a bright spot.
No team in Major League Baseball finished with fewer home runs than the Blue Jays’ 152 long-balls. It’s not all about power of course, as the National League pennant-winning Milwaukee Brewers only swatted 154 home runs, but the Blue Jays’ offence failed to live up to the expectations set after last season.
The power outage was so bad that only four players even finished with double-digit home runs. Okamoto’s 33 blasts were by far the most, more than doubling George Springer’s 15.
How Kazuma Okamoto’s season went
The 2026 season wasn’t a perfect one for the third baseman, as the rookie was streaky all season long. In the end, the 30-year-old slashed .232/.310/.452 with 26 doubles, good for a 113 wRC+, the latter statistic being bested by only Alejandro Kirk.
His 33 home runs accounted for more than a fifth of the Blue Jays’ home runs in 2026. Among all hitters in MLB, Okamoto’s 33 home runs was tied for 12th. With power, usually comes swing and miss. Okamoto finished the year with a 28.8 K%, tied for the 13th highest strikeout rate among qualified hitters.
But even with the high strikeout rate, he, and he alone, was the Blue Jays’ only power threat.
The streakiness was a bit more of a concern, though it wasn’t totally unexpected given his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball. At his worst, Okamoto was an automatic out, at his best, he was hitting every pitch thrown to him.
A question mark heading into this season was whether he could hit a big league fastball. That turned out not to be a problem, hitting 22 of his 33 home runs off the heater. Instead, the big adjustment he needed to make in 2026 and needs to continue to improve upon in 2027 is breaking balls. Last season, Okamoto had a 38.6 percent whiff rate against the spin, as opposed to a 29.5 whiff rate against heaters.
Okamoto’s defence heading into the 2026 season was often in question, but it’s pretty clear the Jays have their long-term third baseman. In 1,227.2 innings at the hot corner, Okamoto finished with 2 Defensive Runs Saved, -2 Outs Above Average, and -2 Fielding Run Value, so basically average.
The third baseman will have some more question marks heading into the 2027 season, but he’ll hopefully be one of a few power-hitting threats in the Blue Jays’ lineup.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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