Okamoto just tied one of Bichette's Toronto Blue Jays records

Kazuma Okamoto is making the Toronto Blue Jays forget all about Bo Bichette. 

The Japanese slugger has been among the Blue Jays best players so far this season, leading the team with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs through 75 games. It's about as good a rookie season as both Okamoto and Toronto could have hoped for. 

It's so good that it actually tied a Blue Jays franchise record previously set by Bichette. With a three-run home run against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, Okamoto became just the second player in Blue Jays history to hit 16 home runs in their first 75 MLB games. 

Bichette did the same over the course of the 2019 and 2020 seasons. 

Most Home Runs in first 75 career MLB games, #BlueJays50 history

Kazuma Okamoto 16
Bo Bichette 16
Fred McGriff 15 pic.twitter.com/E173JEmka8

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 20, 2026

Former Blue Jays first baseman Fred McGriff came up just short of Okamato and Bichette, having hit 15 home runs in his first 75 games between the 1986 and 1987 seasons. 

There was some worry that the Blue Jays would miss Bichette's offence after losing him to the New York Mets in free agency last winter. The hope was that Okamoto could help offset those losses, and so far it appears he can. 

The 29-year-old third baseman has outplayed Bichette through the first couple of months of the 2026 season. Okamoto has doubled up on Bichette's eight home runs and has three more RBIs than the former Blue Jays star as well. 

Okamoto is also posting a +1.3 WAR this season in Toronto, which is besting Bichette's -0.1 WAR with the Mets. 

The vibes around Okamoto and the Blue Jays have been off the charts as well. It appears the fanbase has completely embraced "The Big Oak," and he is rewarding them with some memorable moments. 

Earlier this month, the Japanese slugger sent a ball into the third deck of the Rogers Centre against the New York Yankees. It was the first time that a Jays hitter reached that high on a home run since Josh Donaldson in 2017. 

You don't see baseballs hit this far every day 😮

Kazuma Okamoto sends one to the THIRD DECK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4idBQYpO62

— MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2026

Losing Bichette to the Mets stung a lot of Blue Jays fans, but Okamoto is filling in just fine in his absence.