An NPB star is heading to Toronto.
Kazuma Okamoto and the Blue Jays are in agreement on a contract, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reported on Saturday.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the news.
The 29-year-old has recorded 248 home runs over 11 seasons for the Yomiuri Giants. He has reached the 30-homer mark in six straight seasons (2018-23) and has a career high with 41 in 2023.
The right-handed slugger is also a six-time NPB All-Star.
After hitting 27 homers in 2024, an elbow injury limited Okamoto to just 77 games this past season, where he went deep 15 times.
American baseball fans first got a glimpse of Okamoto’s power during the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship game, when he homered for Japan off team USA’s Kyle Freeland in the bottom of the fourth inning. Japan went on to win 3-2.
Despite making the jump to the MLB at an older age, the infielder’s lethal bat and plate discipline should give him a strong chance to make an immediate impact on his new club.
