Professor Oak-amoto

Kazuma Okamoto (TOR): 2-5, 2B, HR, R, RBI.

Yesterday, Kazuma Okamoto continued his AL Rookie of the Year bid with his 26th home run of the year. Okamoto put the Toronto Blue Jays on the board early in the top of the second with a 107.3 mph, 415-foot dinger. While this would be his first 30+ home run campaign in the MLB, Okamoto posted six consecutive seasons of 30+ home runs in the NPB.

There’s no doubt about his ability to hit for power in the majors with a 90.4 mph average exit velocity, 12.3% barrel rate, and 43.3% hard hit rate. Okamoto has actually been one of the unluckiest batters in baseball this season with a .284 BABIP and 83 Pitch Runs value.

The 30-year-old third baseman would be the oldest AL ROY winner since Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2000 (32).

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:

Zach Neto (LAA): 5-6, 2B, HR, 2 R, 7 RBI.

The Los Angeles Angels steamrolled the Houston Astros 18-3, led by a five-hit, seven-RBI night from Zach Neto. He kept searching for a cycle all night, but wound up a triple short. Neto’s 21st home run was one of his hardest hit of the season, a 107.6 mph, 428-foot bomb in the top of the fifth. It was a welcome sight too, as the homer was only Neto’s second since the All-Star break. The 25-year-old shortstop has posted a 115 Power+ value (120 HR Power/90 Gap Power) this season, so he likely still has a few more homers in him before the season ends.

 

Garrett Mitchell (MIL): 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Milwaukee Brewers‘ center fielder Garrett Mitchell set a career high in home runs with his ninth of the year. Surprisingly low given his 92.8 mph average exit velocity (96th percentile), 12.5% barrel rate (83rd percentile), 51.3% hard hit rate (94th percentile), and 77.5 mph bat speed (98th percentile). However, Mitchell sells out for power with a 31.8% strikeout rate (5th percentile) and a nearly league-worst 81 zDV. Elly De La Cruz may be able to make that work, but the 27-year-old Mitchell lacks the tools for EDLC-type production.

 

Spencer Jones (NYY): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.

New York Yankees‘ outfielder Spencer Jones delivered yet another “Combo Meal” last night. The rookie knocked out a 108.0 mph, 398-foot dinger for his 20th home run of the year and sixth in the major leagues. The Yankees’ top prospect has major boom/bust potential. On one hand, Jones has an eye-popping 94.2 mph average exit velocity in his rookie season. On the other hand, that’s come with a 37.4% strikeout rate and 35.7% chase rate.

 

Matt McLain (CIN): 1-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.

Matt McLain hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth to give Cincinnati a brief lead before ultimately falling 10-9 to the St. Louis Cardinals. McLain turned 27 years old two weeks ago, and since his birthday, he has three home runs, three stolen bases, 10 runs, and a .250/.340/.455 triple slash in 15 games. During that time, McLain’s also jumped up to an 89.3 mph average exit velocity (+1.2), 17.2% barrel rate (+7.1%), and a 44.8% hard hit rate (+7.4%). While the contact skills are still lacking, McLain’s power/speed combo could lead to an age-27 breakout.

 

Willy Adames (SFG): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Yesterday, Willy Adames hit his 20th home run of the year for the sixth consecutive season; the fifth-longest streak of all-time by a shortstop. Despite missing a full week with a lower back injury, Adames has heated up in August. The San Francisco Giants‘ shortstop has now notched two homers, one steal, 0.70 BB/K, and a .261/.367/.357 triple slash in 13 games since the calendar turned to August.

 

Dylan Beavers (BAL): 1-2, HR, R, RBI.

Dylan Beavers put the Baltimore Orioles‘ only run of the night on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Beavers might finally be righting the ship this month with his third homer since the start of August. The power surge marks Beavers’ first since the start of the season and ended a 31-game drought. There will still be growing pains ahead with the 24-year-old outfielder, as his recent production comes with a 43.2% strikeout rate. However, the O’s have been patient with Beavers, returning him to a strong side platoon role after coming back from the IL in late July with an oblique strain.

 

Austin Riley (ATL): 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI.

2026 has been a year of career lows for Austin Riley, but August has given Atlanta fans a glimmer of hope. Riley drove in both of the team’s runs to reach the 60 RBI mark for the first time since 2023. The 29-year-old third baseman has hit a .290/.306/.517/.824 line alongside three home runs since the start of August. More importantly, those numbers come with a resurgent 95.2 mph average exit velocity.

He’s still sitting on the highest strikeout rate since his rookie season, at 31.5%, so I’m not quite ready to buy in long-term on a 2027 bounce-back, but hopefully you can ride this hot streak into the offseason, and we’ll re-evaluate then.

 

Charles McAdoo (TOR): 1-5, R.

Jays rookie Charles McAdoo may have been quiet yesterday, scoring after hitting a 104.7 mph single in the seventh inning. However, McAdoo has been on fire since being called back up on August 10th, and with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the IL has been seeing everyday playing time at both corners. In those eight games, he has gone 10-for-23 with a homer, a steal, and six RBI. There’s plenty of speed here too to go along with that contact-heavy profile, as McAdoo has showcased a 28.8 ft/s sprint speed (88th percentile).