WEST SACRAMENTO -- Kazuma Okamoto is closing on a high note.
The Blue Jays rookie continued his scorching September by homering against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park for the second straight game. His solo dinger to left field off A’s righty Jack Perkins in the second inning of Toronto’s 4-2 win gave him 30 home runs on the season, by far the most among Blue Jays hitters. (George Springer ranks second on the club with 14).
Okamoto, who went back to back with Josh Smith to start the second, tied White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami for the most home runs by American League rookies in 2026. Across MLB, only the Reds’ Sal Stewart (31 homers) has more.
The former Nippon Professional Baseball star has been one of the Blue Jays’ best offensive players since signing a four-year, $60 million deal in the offseason. After his homer and a line-drive single in the sixth inning Tuesday, Okamoto is batting .333 (9-for-27) with a 1.009 OPS in September.
The third baseman continues to extend his own franchise record for home runs by a rookie: His 25th of the year, back on Aug. 18, broke a tie with Eric Hinske (24 in a Rookie of the Year-winning 2022 season) for sole possession of the mark.
Okamoto’s production has helped keep the Blue Jays in the postseason hunt. At 73-73, Toronto remains one game behind the Guardians for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.