Newest Blue Jays star Okamoto shows how much this unforgettable moment meant to him

Ever since Kazuma Okamoto joined the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason, he has always been humble with his performance and accomplishments. Whether it be his first home run during Spring Training or adding a subtle celebration after coming through with a big hit, Okamoto seems to put the game first and his achievements second.

However, when it came to his first ever MLB hit in a Blue Jays uniform, it was finally worth something to the Japanese star. During the seventh inning in the season opener between the Blue Jays and the Athletics, Okamoto sent an 0-2 pitch from reliever Scott Barlow into left field for his first big league hit of his career. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made sure to capture the moment by quickly grabbing the ball for his new teammate for safekeeping.

Okamoto hangs on to a memorable piece of personal history, keeping the ball from his first MLB hit

That feat ended up having a special place in his personal record books as the newest Blue Jays star showed how much the moment meant to him by keeping the ball for his keepsake. According to Thomas Hall of MLB.com, Okamoto told them post-game that “he doesn’t usually keep personal memorabilia, but will make an exception with his first MLB hit”.

The 29-year-old third baseman ended up having a big first game with his new team as he collected two hits in total while being issued his first walk as well. In doing so, Okamoto scored two key runs for Toronto, including his first MLB game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs to seal the victory for the Blue Jays.

Following such an impressive debut performance, he was rewarded the very next day as the Blue Jays inserted him into the cleanup spot behind Guerrero as Toronto faced left-hander Jeffrey Springs on Saturday. Okamoto would add another hit and a walk to bring his average to .375 and OPS to .875. 

At the same time, for those that were still suspect of his play in the field, if he hadn’t convinced everyone during Spring Training, he sure has by now after displaying solid defense at third base through two regular season games. The 29-year old third baseman has handled five balls cleanly in 20 innings in the field along with a couple of nice plays to boot.

Hopefully by the end of the season, there will be even more things that Okamoto will find worthwhile to keep as part of his rare personal treasured memorabilia.