When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year deal earlier in January, we told you that the signing could have major reverberations for the Blue Jays, beyond just the statistics and on-field impact.
Well, it looks like we continue to be proven right.
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According to a fun post on “X,” from the Yakyu Cosmopolitan, Blue Jays hats are quickly selling out at a pop-up station in Japan. It may seem small, the but the signing of Okamoto is absolutely giving the franchise more visibility across the world. If Toronto is able to earn a bigger fanbase in Japan, then that’s great from a marketing standpoint, but it can also be great in terms of recruiting future players and creating new fans who eventually want to become big leaguers also.
The post also indicates that Chicago White Sox hats are selling out as a result of Munetaka Murakami signing there this offseason. It’s also not surprising to see the Houston Astros represented at this pop-up after signing Tatsuya Imai to a three-year deal this offseason. The Cubs also employ Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga, while the Orioles had Tomoyuki Sugano in 2025. The Yankees are the Yankees and the Mariners have a long history of Japanese players, including Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki.
We know that Okamoto is going to help develop fans in Japan, but where is he going to play for the Blue Jays? Signed as a corner infielder, the Jays planned to use him in a super-utility role. Is that still the case after missing out on Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, or will they use him in an every day role at third base? It remains to be seen.
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A powerful hitter, he has six seasons of 30 homers or more in Japan and he helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. While not officially confirmed, he is expected to play for Japan again in this year’s tournament, which begins on March 4.
–MLB Pipeline released its first Top 100 prospect rankings of 2026 on Friday night. The Jays were given three prospects in the Top 100, which is the same number as Baseball America, which released its rankings on Wednesday.
–Toronto is going to allow Yariel Rodriguez to represent Cuba in the WBC, but they’ve placed additional conditions on that participation beyond just what the tournament already has in place.
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