Kazuma Okamoto will wear the number 7 jersey! The Blue Jays officially released a video showcasing his powerful hits against Roki Sasaki.

Former Yomiuri Giants infielder Kazuma Okamoto officially attended the press conference for joining the Toronto Blue Jays today, announcing he will wear the number 7 jersey — this is also his first time selecting a single-digit number in his professional career.

The Blue Jays hold great hopes for 29-year-old Kazuma Okamoto, and their official social media has been actively posting content about him lately. Besides sharing a fun video of Okamoto interacting via a slide, they also released footage of his powerful hitting against Roki Sasaki in Nippon Professional Baseball, clearly showing their competitive intentions.

Kazuma Okamoto joined the Blue Jays through the posting system with a four-year contract worth $60 million. After narrowly losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in last year’s World Series, the Blue Jays have been aggressively strengthening their roster aiming for the championship.

Many legendary players in history have worn the number 7 jersey, including Texas Rangers catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodríguez, Houston Astros’ “3000-hit man” Craig Biggio, and New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle. The number 7 jerseys of these players have all been retired by their respective teams.

During his time with the Yomiuri Giants, Kazuma Okamoto wore numbers 38 and 25. Since those numbers are currently worn by Nathan Lukes and Anthony Santander on the Blue Jays, he chose number 7 as his new jersey number.

Known for his excellent power hitting, Kazuma Okamoto has played 1,074 games since joining the Yomiuri Giants in 2015, boasting a career batting average of .277, hitting 248 home runs, and driving in 717 runs, establishing himself as one of the top hitters in Nippon Professional Baseball. For the Blue Jays, signing Okamoto is not only a key move to strengthen their lineup but also an important strategic step to expand their presence in the Asian market.