Kazuma Okamoto's adjustment to MLB has hit a wall, and Blue Jays need him to figure it out soon

As one of about three healthy players remaining from the Opening Day roster, Kazuma Okamoto deserves a medal simply for making it through his first few weeks with the Toronto Blue Jays unscathed. He is one of just six players to have played in at least 17 of the team's first 18 games this season.

Still, availability isn't the only ability that matters. Okamoto, who opened his MLB career with a six-game hitting streak, has since begun to struggle badly at the plate. He's down to a .585 OPS and 70 wRC+ ahead of the team's weekend series in Arizona.

There's a lot of reasons behind his recent struggles, which we'll dive into shortly. The most important thing is that he gets back on track quickly; the Blue Jays desperately need his middle-of-the-order thump to show it's face as they try to stay afloat without so many valuable pieces of the roster.

Kazuma Okamoto is selling out to hit fastballs, making him susceptible to the slow stuff

Since that fiery start, Okamoto is just six for his last 41, posting a scant .393 OPS in that time. He's been the victim of some bad luck (.214), but he's also got some clear things to work on.

Namely, he has to stop being so susceptible to breaking balls and off-speed pitches. He's whiffing against both offerings more than 44% of the time he swings at them, hence why he's producing a batting average below the Mendoza line when an at-bat ends with either pitch type.

It's the stuff that runs away from him that's really giving Okamoto trouble. His whiff rate against sliders is up to 56.3%; against cutters, it's a ludicrous 69.2%. Right-handed pitchers are simply abusing him low and away, which in turn is making him susceptible to high fastballs.

There are positive to note. He owns a 64.7% hard-hit rate against four-seamers, and his exit velocity numbers all sit comfortable above average. The power-hitting profile the Blue Jays were promised is still here, but opposing pitchers have found a way to keep the ball away from the barrel of Okamoto's bat recently.

It's easy to say that a change in approach would alleviate these struggles. Perhaps if he starts to anticipate the slower stuff, he'll have a better chance of hitting the pitches that are giving him trouble.

But Okamoto's work against fastballs is a direct response to the criticism he (and Munetaka Murakami) faced in free agency about his ability to hit big velocity. It's rare that players from foreign leagues can come over to the MLB and immediately start hitting the best fastballs in the world, but Okamoto has clearly made that his priority in the early going.

Baseball is a game of cat and mouse. Okamoto came out on fire, proving capable of hitting big-league fastballs. The league adjusted and is now winning the battle with breakers. It's on the Blue Jays' third baseman to adjust back, which he sounds determined to do.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow