Kazuma Okamoto has shattered a significant record in his MLB career, breaking Shohei Ohtani's mark for home runs by a Japanese rookie.
Okamoto hit his 23rd home run of the season on Friday against the Boston Red Sox, surpassing Ohtani's previous record. Ohtani had hit 22 home runs as a rookie in 367 plate appearances at 23 years old.
The 30-year-old Okamoto has been one of the Blue Jays' more productive hitters this season, despite a disappointing campaign for the reigning AL champions. His impressive home run total has come in 411 plate appearances.
Okamoto's record-breaking home run was projected to have traveled 408 feet. The Blue Jays gave him a four-year, $60 million deal last offseason after a decade of standout play for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.
The 30-year-old Japanese third baseman has been a solid hitter for the Blue Jays this season, but his numbers aren't quite All-Star caliber. His slash line of .227/.309/.452 through 101 games is a far cry from the top hitters in the league.
Okamoto's achievement is significant, but it's not without competition. Munetaka Murakami, another big Japanese power bat, was on pace to break Ohtani's record before he hit the injured list with a hamstring strain in May. He's now back and sits at 20 home runs.
Murakami seems to have a good chance to finish with more home runs than Okamoto this season and claim the record, but there's a lot that can happen in the final two months of the season.
The record is not settled, and it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for Okamoto and Murakami.
Source: Yahoo Sports