Padres should eye NPB infielder whose contact profile fits 2026 lineup

The San Diego Padres have spent two years trying to sand down the rough edges of a streaky offense. When the power sagged, the lineup couldn’t manufacture traffic; when the slug returned, the strikeouts stacked up in the wrong innings. If 2026 is about balance, more balls in play without punting impact, then San Diego should be looking for hitters who shorten innings for pitchers and lengthen innings for themselves. A bat that trims whiffs, sprays the big part of the field, and still punishes mistakes.

That profile lives in Japan right now. Yomiuri Giants captain Kazuma Okamoto is expected to be posted this winter, and his skill set maps neatly onto what the Padres need: compact swing decisions, above-average contact quality, and enough thump to matter in Petco without selling out for it. Even with an elbow scare limiting him to 69 Central League games, Okamoto still authored a loud .327/.416/.598 line with 15 homers, 21 doubles, and a matching 11.3 percent walk and strikeout rate in 293 plate appearances. That’s the exact traffic-generator San Diego keeps trying to bottle, someone who starts innings with a line drive or breaks them with a gap shot.

​​Kazuma Okamoto is a clean 2026 fit for the Padres’ lineup

Okamoto’s posting was not always a given, Yomiuri is famously reluctant to let their stars go, but the combination of his standing in the clubhouse (captain), trophy case (six All-Star nods, two Gold Gloves, three home run titles), and the player’s own stated intent has pushed the door open. For the Padres, timing helps. This isn’t a long-lead “maybe in two years” discussion; it’s an immediate offseason lever that can reshape the contact-to-slug equation by Opening Day 2026.

There’s a fair question that will come up in every stateside room: high velocity. Okamoto’s production against 94+ mph in NPB reportedly dipped, and MLB’s average four-seam sat in that range in 2025. That’s a real scouting flag, but not a stop sign. NPB hitters simply don’t see as much high-end velocity in volume, which makes the adjustment as much about reps as raw bat speed.

Defensively, there’s flexibility that actually simplifies San Diego’s puzzle. While Okamoto has third-base history, several evaluators see a plus defender at first, and that’s a clean fit with Manny Machado entrenched at third. First base/DH has been a revolving door for the Padres, toggling between slug-only bets, high-contact approaches, and glove-first placeholders. Okamoto offers a steadier daily diet: run prevention at first, professional at-bats, and enough loft to keep pitchers honest. In Petco, where right-center line drives play, his doubles power could translate quickly while the MLB velo acclimation comes along.

This market won’t be a one-man show. Fellow NPB star Munetaka Murakami is younger with a monster track record and will draw top-of-market interest. If San Diego wants the biggest swing, he’s that. But Okamoto may represent the more targeted answer: lower acquisition cost relative to Murakami, cleaner positional fit next to Machado, and a contact-forward shape that speaks directly to the Padres’ stated goals. It’s not “settling.” It’s shopping for the exact tool you need instead of the flashiest version on the wall.