"Okamoto is a big shot" Toronto fell in love, there was a "hidden first-rate contributor." "I asked my daughter which club she liked..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Kazuma Okamoto (30) announced his popularity and impact in the Major League Baseball (MLB) through the Toronto Blue Jays joining ceremony.

Okamoto attended the Toronto joining ceremony at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 7th (Korea Standard Time). Okamoto, who signed a four-year, $60 million (about 86.8 billion won) contract through posting, greeted his fans in a Toronto uniform.

Okamoto was selected by the Yomiuri Giants as the No. 1 overall rookie draft in 2014 as a major player representing the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB), and recorded a batting average of 0.273 248 homers, 717 RBIs and 574 points, an on-base percentage of 0.361, a slugging percentage, 0.521 on-base percentage, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.882 in 1,074 games. Last season, he played only 69 games due to a left arm injury, but he left a strong impact with a batting average of 0.327 (82 hits in 251 at-bats) with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs and an OPS of 1.014.

As a result, he signed a better contract than Murakami Munetaka (Chicago White Sox, two-year, $34 million), the main character of the Japanese' most home runs (56) in a single season.

Earlier, MLB.COM, the official website of MLB, said, "Over the past decade, Okamoto has been consistently at the center of the Yomiuri lineup and has recorded more than 30 home runs for six consecutive years, including 41 career-high home runs in 2023," adding, "That slugging power will be a welcome addition to Toronto's batting lineup, and his sophisticated contact skills fit well with Toronto's preferred batter type. Okamoto perfectly fits Toronto's unique identity of relentlessly harassing opposing pitchers, fighting the count, and hitting a decisive shot," he said.

Toronto has missed out on big Japanese stars in the stove league in recent years, but it has embraced Okamoto. MLB.COM said, "Toronto has steadily expanded its position in the Asian market and worked hard for a moment like this." There was a judgment that skill was basic and that it would be a definite help in terms of marketing.

Through the joining ceremony, Toronto gained more confidence. "One thing we learned about Okamoto on this day is that he is a huge crowd," MLB.COM said, introducing the scenery of the press conference filled with reporters and cameras, adding, "It seemed as if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had signed another extension contract. If you didn't already know, you will now know. Okamoto exclaimed, "It's a giant."

MLB.COM said, "Toronto didn't just get one player named Okamoto with a four-year, $60 million contract," adding, "What the Blue Jays got is more than a baseball player. They finally have a clear slice of the Japanese market, and Okamoto is a much more beloved and respected star than the contract amount in his home country suggests. Okamoto has a certain "Aura," he said.

Okamoto grabbed the microphone and said in English, "Hello, everyone. My name is Kazuma OkamotoHello, everyone. My name is Kazuma Okamoto," he said, adding, "Thank you so much for this opportunity. We are very excited to join the Blue Jays. I will work hard every day and do my best for the team. Thank you for your support. "It's nice to meet you," he said, then shouted "Go Blue Jays."

At the same time, he summoned "Korean Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha) from Toronto. "It will be similar to the explosive media attention the Blue Jays received from Korea when they recruited Ryu Hyun-jin in 2019," he said. "The Blue Jays have been trying to enter the market for years, from Shohei Ohtani to Rocky Sasaki, and Okamoto finally gave them a perfect combination that makes sense 'both internally and businessly in baseball'."

There was a separate first-rate contribution to being able to recruit him. It was his daughter. "First of all, I thought there would be a lot of support because I love the city of Toronto and the team is very strong," Okamoto said, "but there was one thing left in my mind. I put all the logos of the 30 clubs in front of my daughter and asked, "Which one is your favorite?" and she said, "My daughter pointed to the Blue Jays."

As a result, it's all about Toronto. Toronto is a well-received team that takes a close look at not only its players but also their families. This was inevitably a great advantage for Okamoto moving to a completely different culture. Moreover, the fact that even his daughter had a good feeling for Toronto seems to have played a major role in solidifying Okamoto's mind.

MLB's fall ended with the Dodgers winning the World Series for two consecutive years, but the difference from Toronto was very slight. Therefore, Toronto is considered the strongest rival to the Dodgers this season as well.

Okamoto is at the center of it. Based on his brilliant career, MLB.COM said, "The overall hitting approach is 'Blue Jays style' itself," adding, "In retrospect, he was the right player for this team from the beginning."

"He has had an incredible career by showing tremendous influence on both sides of offense and defense," general manager Ross Atkins said. "The attacking ability is dynamic and fits our team very well. You have the ability to make contact against fast balls, against all types of pitches, to really hit any ball hard, which is the best compliment we can hope for. In terms of defense, he expressed satisfaction, saying, "It's a situation that can contribute to our team in many ways, and we'll continue to talk, but his open attitude, which puts the team first, is really attractive."

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*This content was translated by AI.