Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has been named the American League Rookie of the Month for June.
The 30-year-old had the best month of his Major League career, slashing .286/.353/.560 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and 15 runs scored. The .913 OPS was a significant increase from the .774 mark he posted in May, a month in which he also hit seven homers and added 18 RBI.
Overall, the Japanese slugger has clubbed 19 home runs and driven in 54 in 84 games this season. He leads the team in home runs - 11 more than the next closest teammate - RBI, slugging percentage and OPS.
The Blue Jays (41-46) sit third in the AL East and trail the division-leading Rays by 11.5 games. The club has lost seven of its past 10 games but is coming off a series win against Bo Bichette and the New York Mets. They begin a three-game series against the Mariners on Friday, the first of a nine-game, three-series Western road trip to Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego.
