Ranking the NPB stars who make the most sense for the Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays’ successful pursuit of Kazuma Okamoto may have been the beginning of a much larger push into the Japanese market.

President and CEO Mark Shapiro said the club will send a contingent to Japan this offseason and he may make the trip himself as the organization looks to expand its presence from both baseball and business perspectives, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.

The timing could not be better since three of Nippon Professional Baseball’s most intriguing stars — Teruaki Sato, Kaima Taira and Hiromi Itoh — are expected to be posted for major-league teams, giving Toronto potential solutions for either its powerless lineup or injury-ravaged pitching staff.
All three make sense. One fits the Blue Jays’ most urgent need better than the others.

3. Hiromi Itoh offers the Blue Jays a reliable innings eater

Itoh may be the safest play. The 29-year-old right-hander has surpassed 170 innings in three consecutive seasons and won the 2025 Sawamura Award (NPB's Cy Young award) after posting a 2.52 ERA with 195 strikeouts and only 29 walks over 196.2 innings.

He followed that up with 172.2 innings with 159 strikeouts and 34 walks over the course of 2026. That durability should immediately appeal to a Blue Jays team that used a franchise-record 40 pitchers this season, while bullpen worked 686.2 innings, the third most in the league.

Itoh uses a fastball as his most reliable pitch but also mixes a, splitter and sweeper and he controls all three pitches well. The reason he ranks third on this list has more to do with how much more Toronto needs offense over pitching.

2. Kaima Taira may have the highest pitching upside

Taira is a 26-year-old right-hander who recorded a 1.36 ERA over 132 innings for the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2026. He also posted a 23.8% strikeout rate.

There should be some intense interest for his service with over 15 major-league clubs reportedly sending evaluators to watch Taira. The Blue Jays were among them. ESPN’s Jeff Passan has suggested he could be viewed as the second-best free-agent pitcher available behind Tarik Skubal. Taira’s ability to miss bats and work in either a rotation or bullpen gives is also appealing.

1. Teruaki Sato directly addresses the Blue Jays’ biggest weakness

Sato is the clear No. 1 because he could bring game-changing power to Toronto. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter batted .315 with a .392 on-base percentage, .620 slugging percentage, 37 home runs and 100 RBIs for the Hanshin Tigers. He's also coming off a 40-homer MVP season in 2025.

The only issue for the Blue Jays is where would Sato fit defensively. He has primarily played third base, where Okamoto is already established, and his 156 strikeouts in 136 games is risky - though Okamoto also struck out 183 times in 156 games in his first big league season.

Sato also has experience in right field, though, and the Blue Jays should be looking at upgrading that area of the roster anyway. Atkins said the Blue Jays did not hit enough home runs, draw enough walks or reach base often enough. Sato’s combination of power and an improved walk rate could be an answer to all of those concerns.

Sato should be the priority, but all three would improve the Blue Jays in 2027

The pending posting process and an expected Dec. 1 lockout could complicate the whole process. Posting windows last 45 days, which may encourage NPB clubs and interested MLB teams to move quickly before the market freezes.

Toronto should be involved regardless on all three of these players and after the success Okamoto experienced with the Blue Jays, this organization is looking more and more like a viable option for players from Japan.

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