Blue Jays' Kaz Okamoto Keeps Power Surge Rolling

There are many players who have been coming up big time for the Toronto Blue Jays during pivotal moments this season. The dreaded injured list has not been kind to them, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr, as well as George Springer, have had their fair share of struggles at the plate.

So, when the Jays have had the need for it, many have stepped up including third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Okamoto has been a little streaky this year, but when he is on, it is impossible to stop him.

However, the first time he got hot, it didn't last nearly as long as what he is riding right now. He is starting to really figure these big league hitters out, which is highlighted by the team's current series with the New York Yankees.

Kazuma Okamoto hits a baseball in a black Toronto jerse — Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) gets on first base with a fielder's choice against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Okamoto kicked off Friday's opener with a two-run blast off of Ryan Weathers. Then, he followed suit Saturday afternoon, and even though this was a solo shot, it was off of Cy Young contender Cam Schlittler who has a sub-2.00 ERA in '26.

Schlittler limited the damage other than that moonshot by Okamoto. Again, when the team has needed a big play, he has come up in the clutch. It doesn't matter what inning, when a run is scored against Schlittler, that is a huge feat.

Okamoto in His Last 15 Games

Kaz Okamoto hits a baseball in a white Blue Jays jerse — Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) hits a home run against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

There have been highs and lows for Okamoto, but this is the first time he has ever seen major league pitching, as he had been playing overseas up until '26. So, when he came barreling in, it took a minute, but the arms he was facing figured out how to adjust to him.

Then, that cooled him right back off, as he was striking out more often than not. However, he has clearly figured out a game plan now as his last 15 games show nothing but progress in the right direction.

Four Home Runs
12 RBI
Five Drawn Walks
15 Hits
Eight Runs Scored
.278 Batting Average
.333 On-Base Percentage
.537 Slugging Percentage
.870 OPS

The entire piece of his slash line is pulling his numbers on the year drastically up. He is starting to work his way back up the hitting order now that he is gaining confidence again, and since the other sluggers on this team have been lagging, they need his power at the top.

The Jays are starting to find a groove again, and if anybody is worth watching right now, it definitely is Okamoto.

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