Though the New York Yankees have Ben Rice and Ryan McMahon penciled in as their starters at first and third base, respectively, heading into the 2026 season, they may still look for corner infield help on the free agent market this offseason.
Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Yomiuri Giants first baseman Kazuma Okamoto (25) fields a ground ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Following the news that Kazuma Okamoto will be posted by the Yomiuri Giants, his Nippon Professional Baseball club, this offseason, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has named the Yankees as a potential fit for his services.
“A decorated slugger in Japan, Okamoto will be posted by the Yomiuri Giants this winter, making him available to big league clubs,” Feinsand wrote. “Okamoto, who became a full-time player with the Giants in 2018, is a six-time NPB All-Star who has won three home run titles, though there will be questions about his ability to hit higher-velocity pitchers in the Majors. The 29-year-old has 248 career home runs in 1,074 games with Yomiuri, including six consecutive 30-homer campaigns between 2018-23. Okamoto has played more third base than first in Japan, though it’s unclear how Major League teams will view him at the hot corner.”
Just days ago, the expectation was that Yomiuri had no intentions of posting Okamoto and thus granting him an opportunity to check out his options outside of NPB.
The organization has often avoided the posting system in the past, but both they and Okamoto announced at a news conference that he would, in fact, get the chance to sign with an MLB team this winter.
“I have decided to take on the challenge of playing in MLB through the posting system,” Okamoto said, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan. “I’m grateful to all the team officials and fans who respected my decision and gave me their support.
“I believe MLB is the best league in the world, and I’ve always wanted to play there. I’ve worked hard with that goal in mind.”
Okamoto is a six-time NPB All-Star who has slashed .277/.361/.521 with 248 home runs and 717 RBIs over 1,074 games.
The 29-year-old posted a career-high .598 slugging percentage in 2025 with 15 home runs and 21 doubles over 69 contests, with his time on the field limited after sustaining an elbow injury.
Okamoto appeared in 52 games at third base and 27 at first base between the Eastern and Central Leagues this year, though he has 164 contests of experience in the outfield throughout his career as well.
Mar 16, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Yomiuri Giants first baseman Kazuma Okamoto (25) hits a single against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Okamoto won the Mitsui Golden Glove Award at third base in both 2021 and 2022, so he’s more than capable of playing there in the majors for the Yankees if they were comfortable starting him over McMahon.
He would also be a natural replacement for Paul Goldschmidt at first base as a fellow right-handed hitter, but Rice could receive more reps there in 2026 after mashing 26 home runs with an .836 OPS this year.
Okamoto’s experience in the corner outfield is notable, but he’s more likely to stick in the infield in the majors.
He’s a talented hitter who provides plenty of value on the defensive side of the ball, and where the positional fit may be a bit convoluted given the players already on New York’s roster, Okamoto would still carve out a major role with the club if he were to sign with them.
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AloJapan.com