Kazuma Okamoto snapped a nasty post-All-Star break slump in the biggest way possible Friday night at Fenway Park.
Okamoto entered the game riding an 0-for-22 skid, then cracked a pair of extra-base hits, capped by a three-run shot in the seventh inning for his 23rd home run of the season.
That blast gave him sole possession of the record for most home runs by a Japanese-born rookie in a single season, passing Shohei Ohtani's mark of 22 set back in 2018.
It also briefly pushed the Toronto Blue Jays back into a game that had been quiet offensively up to that point, though Toronto ultimately fell 6-4 to the Red Sox.
Ohtani set his mark during his transition to the majors with the Angels after five seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball's Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Okamoto's own path ran through 11 years with the Yomiuri Giants, where he consistently ranked among the league's home run leaders before making the jump to Toronto this season.
Now sitting at 23 home runs, Okamoto is just one shot away from tying the Blue Jays' outright rookie record of 24, set by Eric Hinske back in 2002.
Why this record chase is far from over
Okamoto isn't the only Japanese rookie chasing history this season either. Munetaka Murakami rejoined the Chicago White Sox before the break after missing over a month with a strained hamstring, and sits at 20 home runs through 66 games.
That gives Toronto fans a real subplot to follow the rest of the year, two rookies from Japan pushing each other toward the same record books.
The all-time rookie home run record belongs to Pete Alonso, who hit 53 in 2019, a number that puts Okamoto's pace in real perspective even amid a historic season of his own.
It's a bit like watching someone snap out of a slump with the loudest possible exclamation point, turning a quiet night into a genuine milestone in one swing.
Does Okamoto have a real shot at Hinske's franchise rookie record before the season ends, or does fatigue from a long transition year eventually slow his pace down the stretch?
Toronto continues its series in Boston looking to build on Okamoto's power surge, even with the loss still stinging from Friday night.
Will Kazuma Okamoto break the Blue Jays' all-time rookie home run record this season?
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