How Blue Jays' infielder Kazuma Okamoto best fits in Toronto's lineup

Kazuma Okamoto's deal surpasses both of these players in terms of total guaranteed money and in years, as he and the Blue Jays agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal.

After already inking free agent contracts with Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers, they have added a strong bat to their already league-leading lineup.

Considering that Okamoto has never played in MLB before, most North American fans might only know him from his performance in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Okamoto has been one of the NPB's best hitters in recent years, enjoying six consecutive 30+ home run seasons from 2018-2023, and posted the following averages over the last five seasons: .275 batting average, 30 home runs, 84 RBI, 29 doubles, and an .898 OPS.

The corner infielder and outfielder has been an NPB All-Star six times for the Yomiuri Giants and poses a great potential to translate his skillset quite strongly to MLB.

Okamoto profiles as a corner infielder and occasional corner outfielder for Toronto, and will likely see most of his defensive innings over at third base.

From left to right, the Jays' infield would be composed of Okamoto, Andrés Giménez, Ernie Clement, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

This infield quartet would make any other team envious, and when combined with an outfield of George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Anthony Santander, and potentially Kyle Tucker, the Blue Jays are simply one of the best teams in the league on paper.

Okamoto brings yet another fearsome power bat to an already potent lineup and his presence surrounding guys like Guerrero, Springer, and Santander at the heart of the Toronto order seems like a nightmare for any pitcher to have to face.

The one offensive area that the Blue Jays weren't among the league's best at was home runs, albeit not for a lack of power at the plate (three players with a maximum exit velocity of 114+ MPH).

Toronto is going to be one of the most dangerous teams in baseball in 2026 and beyond due to the moves they've made over the past year and a bit.

They have their eyes firmly set on another World Series berth with a better ending than last time, and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of making that happen at the moment.

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