Okay, so let’s talk about the Toronto Blue Jays offense in 2026. Spoiler: it was rough. Like, really rough. They ended the year dead last in the Majors with only 152 homers, and their team OPS? A brutal .691, landing them 28th in baseball. But amidst that offensive dumpster fire, one guy absolutely did the heavy lifting: third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.
Okamoto Absolutely Crushed It, Despite Everything
This dude showed up and delivered. Okamoto mashed 33 homers and racked up 59 extra-base hits in 636 plate appearances, carrying a huge chunk of that anemic offense. We’re talking about a player who came over from Nippon Professional Baseball with a track record of 248 home runs and six 30-homer seasons over 11 years. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter said it right: Okamoto was a well-established power threat, and he absolutely delivered in the first season of his four-year, $60 million deal. What’s even crazier? Reuter noted that Okamoto played better-than-expected defense at third base, even though some folks thought he’d be a first baseman in MLB. Talk about surpassing expectations!
The Rest of the Offense? Just Brutal.
It’s insane how good Okamoto was while the rest of the Blue Jays lineup struggled so hard. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. himself didn’t even hit his first home run at the Rogers Centre until September and finished the year with a measly nine long balls. That’s a superstar, man! When your big hitters aren’t hitting, and your team collectively can’t even crack the top 25 in OPS, you know you’ve got problems. Okamoto was putting up monster numbers, and the team was still at the bottom of the league in power. It really highlights how much he had to do.
A Steal And What’s Next For The Blue Birds
Honestly, Okamoto’s contract is looking like a total steal for the Blue Jays, especially if he can keep up this 30-homer, 100 RBI pace for the next three seasons. Imagine what he could do with a little more help around him! Toronto’s going to have their work cut out for them in free agency, needing to focus on their starting rotation and, obviously, finding another power bat in the middle of their order. Still, you gotta be hyped about Okamoto’s potential to increase his production even more in his second year against Major League pitching. The future is looking bright for him, even if the team’s offense needs a major overhaul.
Oh, and speaking of big-time players, gotta give a quick shoutout to our own guy, Mariners’ Josh Naylor, who made some wild MLB history this season, joining Hall of Famer George Sisler with a rare stolen base feat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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