Blue Jays’ Kazuma Okamoto Keeps Climbing MLB’s Record Books

While the 2026 Major League Baseball season has been difficult overall for the Toronto Blue Jays, there's no denying the fact that their addition of Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto has been a good one.

This past offseason, Okamoto, Munetaka Murakami and Tatsuya Imai were all posted for big league clubs to sign. Okamoto landed with the Blue Jays, Murakami landed with the Chicago White Sox and Imai landed with the Houston Astros. Imai hasn't quite found his footing in the majors just yet, but both Okamoto and Murakami have brought some serious power to the big leagues.

Okamoto has specifically made some history this season. The Blue Jays slugger crushed his 33rd homer of the season on Monday, which now is now the record for a Japanese-born right-handed hitter, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

The biggest swing of the #BlueJays season.

Kazuma Okamoto has put them up, 5-4, with a three-run shot. His 33rd of the season. pic.twitter.com/aLKDyubziZ
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 15, 2026

"With 33 home runs on the season, Kazuma Okamoto has established a new single-season high-water mark for right-handed hitters from Japan, passing Seiya Suzuki," Nicholson-Smith wrote.

It has been a historic season for Okamoto, to say the least. Back in July, Okamoto broke Shohei Ohtani's previous record for the most homers hit by a Japanese-born player in the majors. The previous record held by Ohtani was 22.

Ohtani has the overall single-season record for most homers in a season by a Japanese-born player with 55, which he set last season. Okamoto won't be touching that record this season, but he has been red-hot recently. Since Sep. 7, Okamoto has crushed five homers in seven games while slashing .348/.464/1.043. The Blue Jays have 11 games left in the 2026 regular season and are fighting for a chance to land an American League Wild Card spot.

Right now, the Blue Jays are one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. If the Blue Jays are going to get over the hump and make it into the postseason, Okamoto is going to be a major reason why.

When Okamoto was posted this past offseason, it was known that the 30-year-old had potential to bring big-time power to the big leagues. Last year, he was only able to play in 77 games for the Yomiuri Giants due to injuries, but he hit 15 homers. From 2018 through 2023, Okamoto bashed at least 30 homers in each season, including a career high of 41 in 2023.

Right now, Okamoto has 33 long balls for Toronto with 11 games left to go. He has already made history. Now, he can add to his tally.

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