# Blue Jays’ New Star Kazuma Okamoto Sends Record Message Okamoto ties Shohei Ohtani’s rookie record. - **Source:** [Forbes - Business](https://brifing.si/source/e0310925-a7af-4d4b-80a7-c80d400e49fa) - **Published:** 2026-07-12 - **Topic:** [Career Growth](https://brifing.si/c/growth) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/179e9ce1-2f16-4e3c-86b4-06cc935e66d2 ## The Fruit of a Big Investment Toronto Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract before the 2026 season. The Japanese star became a significant step in boosting the team’s expected productivity. ## Record Tied Okamoto tied Shohei Ohtani’s long-standing rookie season home run record. This achievement highlights Okamoto’s impressive performance in his debut MLB season. ## Respect for Ohtani Despite tying Ohtani’s record, Okamoto avoided comparing himself to the superstar. “He’s a unicorn,” he said, showing his respect for Ohtani. ## A Key Part of the Team Okamoto’s performance plays a significant role in Toronto Blue Jays’ success this season. He’s helping to offset losses by boosting the team’s productivity. ## Hope for the Future Okamoto’s success raises hopes for Toronto Blue Jays in future seasons. The young star has become an important figure for the team’s long-term success. ## The Importance of Records Okamoto tying Ohtani’s record once again highlights the success of Japanese players in MLB. Such achievements underscore the importance of international talent in the league. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2026/07/12/blue-jays-new-60-million-star-sends-3-word-message-on-dethroning-dodgers-ohtani/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._