Kazuma Okamoto《Blue Jays》Towards 30 homers “I’ve surpassed my days with the Giants by getting rid of my “crab legs”!
His batting average and slugging percentage have skyrocketed since he changed his batting position!
The reason for his rapid rise in performance is his “standing position” at bat.
Kazuma Okamoto (29) of the Blue Jays has opened his eyes to hitting.
Until April 18 (Japan time), he was batting .188 with a slugging percentage of .290 and two home runs, but as of May 11, he is batting .248 with a slugging percentage of .483 and 10 home runs, a sharp increase. The key point is where he stands at bat. According to the official Major League Baseball data analysis site, he has moved back about 6 inches to the umpire’s side.
I am now able to better judge the ball. One of the biggest effects is that Okamoto is better able to deal with changeable pitches, which he used to have trouble with. Before the position change, Okamoto’s batting average on breaking balls was in the mid-10% range, but after the change, his batting average is well over 30%.
Okamoto’s evolution does not stop there. His hitting form has also been drastically changed since his days with the Giants. While looking at the series of photos, let’s listen to the commentary of Takashi Kawamura, a professor of physical education at the University of Tsukuba and an expert in motion analysis.
Taku Kawamura, a professor of physical education at the University of Tsukuba and a specialist in the field of physical education, explains, “The style is the same as in Japan, where he starts with a relaxed, natural stance and then raises his left leg to give momentum to his movements (①). However, when I was a member of the Giants, my right knee was bent more like a “crab crotch. While he could keep his weight on his right leg and prevent his body from falling forward, it also resulted in wasteful movement. Now that he is out of the “crab crotch” and the bend in his right knee is smaller, he is able to shift his weight more smoothly. It has become easier to transfer the power of the entire body to the ball.
The same “single leg hitting method” as in Japan gives momentum to the form.
(2) The line of both shoulders is noteworthy.
In his time with the Giants, his shoulders were almost parallel to the ground, so he had a level swing and hit many balls with backspin. In the majors, I dare to lower my right shoulder and angle it. The tilted upper body and legs form an “in” shape, and the bat’s trajectory is made to sink into the ground from above.
(3) In this case, the player swings the bat up after lowering it.
This is to scoop up the ball from underneath and send it farther. In the majors, home runs and OPS (an index that combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage) are evaluated more highly than batting average. Okamoto’s new form, which is designed to hit long balls, is a move suited to the majors.
(4) The follow-through of the bat is also large.
The head speed of the bat has not decreased. If he can maintain his current form, I think he can aim for 30 home runs and nearly 100 runs even though his batting average is in the low .200s. Okamoto also plays good defense at first and third base, so I think he will continue to be a mainstay for the Blue Jays.”
With his thin hitting style adapted to the majors, Okamoto is poised to surpass his time with the Giants.
Large follow-through
From the May 29, 2026 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO： Yuji Taguchi