Don't let Dylan Cease no-hit bid obscure powerful Kazuma Okamoto statement

Dylan Cease nearly made history for the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, (Jul. 8) when his bid for a no-hitter ended in the top of the ninth inning. Understandably, this was the story that dominated the news cycle for the last 24-hours. He came within three outs of becoming just the second Blue Jays' pitcher to accomplish the feat. When that happens, everything else in the game seems to become secondary.

However, within the Blue Jays' 10-0 win over the San Francisco Giants, there was another moment that deserves it's own reflection and praise; Kazuma Okamoto's first inning grand slam off Giants ace Logan Webb, the first grand slam of his MLB career.

It was Okamoto's 21st home run of the season and reinforced just how much the Blue Jays are currently relying on his production this season. The 30-year-old is in his first season in MLB, but he's truly posting stats that are very befitting of someone that was one of the most prolific hitters in Japan for over a decade.

Wednesday felt like the exclamation point on a recent surge Okamoto has been on. He's coming off a Rookie of the Month award for his excellent performance at the plate, and that has seeped into his work in early July. In June, Okamoto hit .286 with seven home runs, 20 RBI, four doubles, 15 runs scored, a .560 slugging percentage and a .353 on-base percentage across 25 games.

Okamoto needs some support after the All-Star break

Okamoto has completely erased any concerns even the most skeptical fans had about his transition to MLB. The four-year $60 million contract he signed with the Blue Jays looked like a good deal at the time, and it's now looking like it could be an absolute bargain for the Blue Jays. Unfortunately, he's one of the few Blue Jays hitters who are earning their paychecks this season.

The Blue Jays as a team rank 25th in home runs, 27th in SLG (.383) and 27th in OPS (.688) going into Thursday's game against the San Diego Padres (Jul. 9). They are also one of the worst teams at hitting with runners in scoring position, ranking 29th in OPS (.685) and have 163 hits in 682 at-bats (.239) when they have had an opportunity to score a run.

Some of that has rested squarely on the shoulders of the Blue Jays main power producers from 2025 not being able to replicate their stats from a year ago. The team's home run leader last year, George Springer, has nine home runs with a .383 SLG. Vladimir Gurrero Jr. has hit only five long balls with a .351 SLG. Daulton Varsho has picked up seven home runs with a .399 SLG. In 2025, each of these guys had a slugging percentage above .460 and they made up three of the teams top four power hitters.

Okamoto has solidified himself as a middle-of-the-order force for this Blue Jays' lineup, but the rest of the group needs to force themselves to start playing at the same level as him.

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