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WATCH: Kazuma Okamoto notches first big league hit, scores game-winning run
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Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 27, 2026, 21:45 EDTUpdated: Mar 27, 2026, 22:23 EDT
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Kazuma Okamoto is here.
On Friday evening, the third baseman made his big league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, reaching base three times in a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Athletics. Two of the three times Okamoto reached base were thanks to a single. 
His first base hit came in the bottom of the seventh.  Scott Barlow’s pitch was well out of the zone, but that didn’t matter because Okamoto reached across the plate and lofted the ball into shallow left field. The fact he was able to get it into the infield 91.9 mph off the bat is rather impressive, and that’s the name of his game.
In his two prior plate appearances, he struck out and walked. The strikeout saw him whiff on a middle-middle 98.3 mph fastball from Luis Severino. He had better luck in his second plate appearance, drawing an eight pitch walk. After an Ernie Clement double, Andrés Giménez hit a two RBI triple to cash in both runners.
The biggest hit of his big league career (so far) came in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. He eventually came in to score the game-winning run after a Clement double and Giménez single.
On the defensive side of things, the third baseman made a nice off-balance play to retire the out, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. helping him out quite a bit as the throw was wide. Pretty solid game with his glove.
Big things are expected of the 29-year-old. Okamoto was the team’s big position play signing after slashing .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs in 293 plate appearances in Nippon Professional Baseball. 
It was just one of two times Okamoto missed out on 30 or more home runs (27 in 2024), while his career-year in a full season was in 2023, when he slashed .278/.374/.584 with 41 home runs in 589 plate appearances. That was the lone time in his NPB career that he hit 40 or more home runs, but came close in 2021 with 39 homers.
Okamoto grades out as an average hitter with above-average power. There are question marks about his defence at third base, but he look solid there throughout Spring Training.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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