Blue Jays: Where Kazuma Okamoto ranks amongst other big league rookies

"So far with the Jays, Okamoto has hit to a .228/.314/.433 slash line with a .747 OPS across 46 games and 171 at-bats. He's entrenched himself as the primary third base option for Toronto, and owns a .967 fielding percentage at the hot corner to show for it with just three errors to his credit."

"Returning to the plate, Okamoto has amassed a .276 BABIP, .205 ISO, and a 110 wRC+ as an everyday player. The strikeouts have been his biggest issue so far, posting a 29.4% punchout rate, but that comes with his easy swing and power he brought with him, which has resulted in five doubles and 10 home runs."

"On the Jays, he leads the team with his double-digit home run total, five ahead of Andres Gimenez, Jesus Sanchez, and Daulton Varsho. Amongst qualified players, he also ranks first in RBIs (27), second in SLG, OPS, and walks, and third in OBP."

"Looking at his statcast metrics, Okamoto ranks well on exit velocity, barrel %, and hard-hit %, all above the 88th percentile. He sits in the middle of the pack on numerous other offensive metrics, such as launch angle (52nd percentile) and squared-up percentage (53rd percentile), but sees a drop when it comes to his whiff% (16th percentile) and K% (13th percentile). His worst metric is his baserunning value, which sits at a -1 and ranks in the fifth percentile amongst all qualified big leaguers."

Toronto made multiple offseason moves, including a franchise-high seven-year deal with right-hander Dylan Cease. Kazuma Okamoto joined as a free agent on a four-year, $60 million contract after more than 11 years with the Yomiuri Giants. Through 46 games and 171 at-bats, Okamoto has posted a .228/.314/.433 slash line and a .747 OPS. He has taken over third base, recording a .967 fielding percentage with three errors. Offensively, he has a .276 BABIP, .205 ISO, and a 110 wRC+ as an everyday player. His main issue is a 29.4% strikeout rate, despite power and an easy swing. He leads the team with 10 home runs and shows strong Statcast results in exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate, while ranking low in whiff% and K%. His baserunning value is -1, ranking in the fifth percentile among qualified players.

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