Kazuma Okamoto’s MLB Debut with Blue Jays Features Three Big Firsts

When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal, they felt they knew what they were getting.

After all, the 30-year-old was a huge star in his native Japan, where he played for the Yomiuri Giants. He was known for his power, as he led the Central League in home runs in three different seasons and in RBI twice. He also made the NPB All-Star team six different times.

In his home country he's a superstar. In the Majors, he's just a rookie. So, every first in his Major League and Blue Jays career hits a little different. He had plenty of them during Toronto’s sweep of the Athletics on opening weekend.

Kazuma Okamoto’s Big Weekend

Kazuma Okamoto's FIRST @MLB hit!!!!

和真のメジャー初安打 pic.twitter.com/aYfXcyiLzm
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 28, 2026

Okamoto slashed .333/.429/.583 in his first three games as he played third base, a position that was tricky for the Blue Jays last year. The hope was that he could help bring more consistency there at the plate and in the field. So far, so good.

At the plate he had four hits for the weekend, including his first, which came on opening night after the Blue Jays raised their AL pennant and division title banners. After the hit, teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made sure to track down the baseball so that Okamoto could have it as a memento of his first hit. He finished the game with a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored.

和真が初ヒットのボールをキープ！

Vladdy gave Kaz the ball back 😅🤣 pic.twitter.com/BYcVjuNWZ5
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 28, 2026

That second run was a huge one. It was the run the sealed the victory for Toronto on opening night, a walk-off victory over the Athletics authored by an Andrés Giménez single. So, it was Okamoto’s first game-winning run scored.

Later, he experienced his first victory bath, courtesy of Blue Jays teammates as he was doing an interview.

Gimé embraced it 🤣
Kaz didn’t see it 😅

The first Water Dump is a DOUBLE! pic.twitter.com/ClPGv72irI
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 28, 2026

He managed a hit in Saturday’s game as he went 1-for-5 at the plate. The Blue Jays had another walk off win on Saturday, though Okamoto didn’t participate in the final heroics, courtesy of a single by Ernie Clement.

On Sunday he went 1-for-4 with an RBI, but that one hit was a big one — his first career home run. He hit that home run in the fourth inning to give Toronto a 4-0 lead. George Springer and Jesús Sánchez had already hit home runs earlier in the game. The Blue Jays hung on to win the game, 5-2.

KAZUMA'S FIRST @MLB BLAST!

和真のメジャー初ホームラン！ pic.twitter.com/f85XPyWNeu
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 29, 2026

His track record was impossible for Toronto to ignore before it signed him in January. In 11 NPB seasons he slashed .277/.361/.521 with 248 home runs and 717 RBI. He was a member of Japan’s gold medal-winning team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Toronto continues its homestand on Monday when the Colorado Rockies come to town. The Rockies were swept by the Miami Marlins and lost all three games by a run. After that series, the Blue Jays head to Chicago for a three-game series with the White Sox before returning to Rogers Center for the rematch that everyone is waiting for. The rematch of last year’s epic World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers starts on April 6.