The Toronto Blue Jays have a diverse lineup. At their best, Ernie Clement and Nathan Lukes provide relentless contact. Addison Barger and Daulton Varsho can slug homers.
But it wasn’t exactly clear which bucket Kazuma Okamoto fell into when the Jays signed him to a four-year, $60 million deal this winter.
He hit .322 in his final season in Japan, and Jays coaches lauded the third baseman’s contact during spring training. But he also posted six consecutive seasons with 30-plus homers in Nippon Professional Baseball. Now, amid his hottest stretch since joining the Jays, it’s clear Okamoto can be a power provider. His homer potential may have an impact on the rest of Toronto’s lineup.
“If he can continue to do what he’s doing and progress a little bit,” manager John Schneider said after a game last week, “that’s kind of what we’re hoping for. He continues to make strides and kind of has a knack for driving in some runs.”
The third baseman bashed four homers in a four-game series split against the Minnesota Twins this weekend, and has six dingers in his last 10 contests. On top of the obvious (scoring runs), Okamoto’s big power could help insulate the middle of Toronto’s lineup.
Last year, the Jays had Bo Bichette hitting behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for most of the season and, after he returned from injury, in Game 7 of the World Series. Bichette backstopped Guerrero with regular contact and elite production with runners in scoring position, spraying balls around the outfield. The Jays haven’t had a consistent cleanup hitter this year, rotating through guys like Jesús Sánchez, Barger and Okamoto.
Without a consistent threat behind the top slugger, Guerrero has seen fewer pitches in the heart of the zone (21.5 percent) than at any point in his big-league career. Opposing pitchers are wasting more pitches (11.2 percent) against the first baseman. It’s certainly part of why Guerrero has brought more on base (.421 OBP), than power (two homers) this season.
Through 32 big-league games, Okamoto is on pace for nearly 40 homers. Expecting him to continue that pace is a big ask. But if he does, the third baseman may find a home behind Guerrero.
Opposing pitchers are always going to be careful with Toronto’s first baseman. Guerrero is the name they circle in pre-series scouting meetings. But it’ll be much harder for pitchers to nibble against Guerrero if a 40-homer threat waits behind him. That’s the sort of power the Jays haven’t had protecting him since Teoscar Hernández was traded after 2022. Perhaps not coincidentally, that’s the last time Guerrero hit more than 30 homers.
Why was Tyler Heineman removed from Sunday’s game?
With the bases loaded in Sunday’s sixth inning, Tyler Heineman swung at the first pitch he saw. It was arguably a pinch-hit spot for Toronto, with a chance to chip away at Minnesota’s lead. But Schneider trusted the 34-year-old catcher and sent out Heineman. The backstop sent a lazy fly ball to left field, ending the inning and run-scoring opportunity. After the first-pitch chase, Heineman was replaced at catcher by rookie Brandon Valenzuela the following half-inning.
Heineman was not hurt. The move was a “manager’s decision,” Schneider told reporters in Minnesota after the game. Heineman told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi it was “just situation and everything that’s been going on,” alluding to his poor play lately.
“That at-bat was pretty trash,” the catcher told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “I popped up on a pitch I should have drove. I’ve been pretty crappy the past 10 games or so. He probably saw something he shouldn’t have seen or that I did wrong. He made a decision.”
Heineman, who said he supported the manager’s choice, is hitting just .176 after a breakout year in 2025. He entered Sunday’s contest with two hits in his past eight games. Before a game last week, Schneider specifically recounted a discussion with Heineman about swinging at better pitches while talking about the team’s offensive strategy.
“It’s what are you actually swinging at,” Schneider said last week. “We know that a lot of these guys make contact. OK, so are you just making contact? Or are you making quality contact? Are you in a hurry to make contact?”
Sunday’s sixth-inning at-bat doesn’t appear to be a great example of that narrow approach, though, according to Davidi, Schneider declined to elaborate on exactly why Heineman was removed.
While Alejandro Kirk (thumb) could return at some point in May, he’s still weeks away. Toronto’s catching tandem of Heineman and Valenzuela — thrust into larger-than-expected roles — hasn’t brought much production in Kirk’s absence. But with not much depth behind them, the pair remain the club’s best options at catcher before the All-Star starter returns. When Kirk comes back, Toronto’s catching can become elite again.
George Springer dings toe again
George Springer rolled on the ground in the early innings of Saturday’s win over the Twins. The designated hitter, who returned from the injured list on April 29, took a pitch off the same injured foot that sent him to the IL weeks ago.
More X-rays on Springer’s fractured big toe showed no additional damage, Schneider told reporters, including Davidi, in Minnesota. The veteran DH was likely going to get Sunday’s series finale off anyway, but he was not in the lineup and did not pinch hit despite multiple opportunities for a bench at-bat.
Springer’s toe is not fully healthy, and the Jays are OK with that. They knew the 36-year-old would have to play through pain after coming off the injured list, as he has many times before. Saturday’s rogue pitch certainly didn’t help his toe. Even if Springer doesn’t need to go back on the IL, we’ll see just how effective he can be with his battered foot.
When he’s right, Springer sets the tone for the Jays. In 12 at-bats since his return from the IL, the 36-year-old notched four hits. He earned MVP votes last year, with a resurgent season, and is even more important with Barger and Kirk on the shelf, too. In games that Springer drives in a run this year, the Jays are 5-2.
