Kazuma Okamoto Breaks Shohei Ohtani's Japanese-Born Rookie Home Run Record

Article

Toronto Blue Jays rookie Kazuma Okamoto has broken the MLB record for most home runs by a Japanese-born rookie in a single season, a mark Shohei Ohtani had held since his own 2018 rookie year.

The Record

Okamoto hit his 23rd home run of the 2026 season in late July, moving past the total Ohtani set as a rookie in 2018. The record specifically covers home runs hit in a player's rookie MLB season — it does not affect Ohtani's overall career home run totals or any of his multiple MVP-winning seasons since.

Where Ohtani Stands This Season

Separately, Ohtani's own 2026 home run total has tracked lower than in recent seasons — he had 11 home runs through the Dodgers' first 67 games, well off the pace of his second consecutive 50-homer season a year earlier. Even so, by advanced offensive metrics like wRC+, no qualified National League hitter had been more productive than Ohtani entering a recent series in Pittsburgh, underscoring that his overall offensive value remains elite even with a lower home run count.

What To Know

A new Japanese-born MLB rookie breaking a long-standing Ohtani record is a milestone that resonates with fans following Japanese players in MLB, and it's a story specifically about a record, not a claim that Ohtani's overall career or current form has declined.

What Fans Are Saying

• "Cool to see a new Japanese rookie make his own mark, even if it's Ohtani's record falling."
• "People are reading this as Ohtani being 'bad' this year and it's really not that — his overall numbers are still elite."
• "Two Japanese sluggers, two different records — good problem for MLB to have."

Original Japanese

• 「大谷選手の記録が破られたのは、新しい日本人ルーキーの活躍の証拠でもある」
• 「これを見て『大谷は不調』と思う人がいるけど、総合的な数字はまだトップクラスなんだよね」
• 「日本人選手が記録を塗り替え合うの、見ていて楽しい」

Easy Japanese

ブルージェイズの新人選手、岡本和真選手が、日本出身の新人選手として一番多くホームランを打った記録を更新しました。これまでの記録は大谷翔平選手が持っていました。