TORONTO -- After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. kicked off the day with a public apology for his recent comments about his $500 million contract, it felt like everything else would live in that shadow.
The Blue Jays pulled off a comeback win, though, 6-5 over the Reds, rewarding their fans who packed Rogers Centre yet again despite their team being eliminated from postseason contention.
This is what mattered most:
1. Okamoto running away with major categories
Kazuma Okamoto ripped a bases-loaded double off the wall in left-center to tie this one, his second double of the night to continue what’s been a spectacular rookie season in Major League Baseball. Okamoto isn’t just leading the Blue Jays in home runs and RBIs, he’s towering above everyone else through 160 games.
“I’ve obviously learned a lot,” Okamoto said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “The numbers are the numbers. I can also improve on the numbers, as well.”
Home runs:
1. Kazuma Okamoto -- 33
2. George Springer -- 15
T-3. Alejandro Kirk -- 10
T-3. Nathan Lukes -- 10
RBIs:
1. Kazuma Okamoto -- 92
2. Andrés Giménez -- 58
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- 57
Yes, you’re reading that correctly -- only two Blue Jays hitters have more than 10 home runs this season, and Okamoto has more than doubled the second-highest total in that category. It’s a leaderboard we’ll look back on a few years from now with confusion and amazement, but that’s for another day.
On a team absolutely starved for positive stories offensively, Okamoto has been everything the Blue Jays could have hoped for and more. His four-year, $60 million deal looks like excellent business for this organization, and while he’s also set the franchise record with 180 strikeouts, his power is so important to this roster that it’s almost easy to shrug at that number at this point.
“He’s been impressive. It's a long season for everyone, but especially him in his first year over here. He’s been fantastic,” manager John Schneider said. “He’s preparing, adjusting and showing the hitter he is. Man, he’s been fantastic.”
2. A disappointing finale for Soriano
José Soriano lasted just three innings, allowing five runs, and there wasn’t much value in pushing him further than that given that there’s nothing at stake.
In 10 starts with the Blue Jays, Soriano has posted a 5.30 ERA, a jump from the 3.29 ERA he’d owned with the Angels prior to the deal (123 IP). The true version of Soriano is much closer to what he did with the Angels, of course, and he has the talent to pitch near the front of this rotation, behind Dylan Cease and alongside Trey Yesavage.
“We are excited as hell about his potential going forward,” Schneider said.
This isn’t the stretch of 10 starts the Blue Jays were hoping for, and this wasn’t the note they wanted the 27-year-old to end on. Once we settle into the offseason and begin to look toward 2027, Soriano will be a popular name when we discuss how this team can improve.
3. What’s the long-term plan for Soriano?
Soriano was the Blue Jays’ big addition at the Trade Deadline, and while his 10 starts down the stretch have been average at best, this move was made with an eye on 2027 and ‘28.
The Blue Jays have a “type,” and Soriano fits it. Look back at Hyun Jin Ryu, Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Cease and others. All of them were established in the big leagues, but the Blue Jays like to target talented, reliable starters, then try to tinker just the right amount to get a bit more out of them.
That’s already begun with Soriano, but there was no immediate success story, like the club had with Robbie Ray in his brief time here. Even Cease has shown that immediate and obvious “leap,” but Soriano looks like more of an offseason project as the Blue Jays try to massage in their own ideas to the talent he already has.
“Guys with that kind of talent and those kinds of pitches, you have to let them do their thing,” Schneider said pregame. “Our job is just to find the best way to use them. He’s been really open and receptive to it. You can see how much we’re leaning into his two-seamer as opposed to the four-seamer, but he’s been really good so far."