Blue Jays ‘Big Oak’ Is Finding His Footing and His Quesadilla

Kazuma Okamoto went 2-for4 with two home runs and three RBI against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. His contribution helped earn the team a 7-3 win and bring their record to 15-17. Not exactly where everyone thought they “should” be by this time in the 2026 campaign.

The tide may be turning for the Toronto-based team, though. Looking back over the 2025 season, a slow start may not be a bad thing for the team.

One player that fits that mold is the “Big Oak” Okamoto himself.

The Slow Start Nobody is Panicked About

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

After signing a four-year, $60 million contract with Toronto on January 4, Okamoto made the transition to the United States. He spent 11 very dominant seasons with the Japanese Yomiuri Giants.

His stats spoke for him; there was no interpreter needed. He hit 30-plus home runs in six consecutive seasons, peaking at 41 bombers in 2023. He had an unfortunate elbow injury in 2025 that limited him to just 69 games and 15 home runs.

There were questions about how he would adjust to MLB, and they seemed legitimate at the beginning of the season.

The early answer to the question was: slowly. Just exactly like the team - a slow start. Over the first 30 games, Okamoto hit just .216 with a .298 OBP and a .423 slugging percentage. These stats were to be expected for a man coming from Japan and finding his footing in MLB.

Then there were the strikeouts. He had 37 in his first 30 games. He wasn’t being impatient, though, as he earned 13 walks in that same stretch of games.

He Has Arrived and He is Hungry

Kazuma Okamoto | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Something has clicked over the last two weeks. In the last 15 games, Okamoto is hitting .245 with five home runs, 14 RBI and a .547 slugging percentage.

Dig deeper and things gets even better. In his last seven games, the Japanese superstar is slashing .250/.333/.625 with three home runs and nine RBI.

Friday night against the Twins he blasted two home runs and put an exclamation point on a stretch of games the Blue Jays knew was within the player they signed.

When asked why his third hit wasn’t a home run, Okamoto smiled and, through his interpreter, shocked reporters with this, “I didn’t have my pre-game quesadilla today. I think if I’d had that, it would have been a home run.”

Kazuma Okamoto nearly hit a third homer tonight, sending this ball 381 feet to the wall in the ninth.

"I didn't have my pre-game quesadilla today," he said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. "I think if I would have had that, it would have been a home run." pic.twitter.com/zpN5IhsQxv
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) May 2, 2026

If the man needs a quesadilla to hit three homers in a game, give them to him. In fact, just consider it a standing order and have them delivered.

Okamoto’s Impact

Quesadilla or not, Okamoto has been a bright spot for a team that has been riddled with injuries and tough luck to start this season.

Okamoto can relieve some pressure off Vladimir Guerrero Jr along with bringing some pop to the middle of the lineup. The struggle to get the offense going this year has been frustrating.

Nine home runs in 31 games suggest Okamoto is adjusting well, and so far, no one can argue with his results, whatever the ritual is.

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