Everyone is looking for the next star with the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes coming to a close. Outside of Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays fans, who still have a shot at the Japanese ace. Most MLB fans are looking for the next Japanese superstar they can dream about bringing in. The player everyone seems to have their eyes on for the 2025/26 offseason is Munetaka Murakami.
Murakami has hyped surrounding him ever since he was in high school. In only his first season, he leads his team to the Koshien national tournament, better known as “Summer Koshien”. This is a major deal in Japan. It’s one of the biggest sporting events the country has. It’s on par with March Madness here in the US. That was the only time his team made the tournament, but that doesn’t take away from his accomplishments. He hit 52 home runs, earning him the nickname “Babe Ruth of Higo”.
He was drafted in the first round of the NPB draft, by three teams. After a lottery, the Tokoyo Yakult Swallows won the rights and signed him to an 80 million yen contract. Roughly about 500,000 in today’s US dollars. Murakami has spent his entire NPB career with the Sawllows however, he has indicated that 2025 will be his last year in Japan and plans to be posted next offseason. But what type of player is Murakami?
What Makes Murakami the Next Star?
The biggest part of Murakami’s game is his power. When your nickname in high school is in the likeness of Babe Ruth, you have to be a good power hitter. Now Murakami might not be as good as The Sultan of Swat, but he’s still a really good hitter. In seven-season, he’s slashed .270/.395/.550 with 224 home runs and 600 RBIs.
However, the season that made Murakami a household name came in 2022. When he put on one of the best seasons the NPB has ever seen. In 141 games he slashed .318/.458/.711 with 56 home runs and 134 RBIs. His 56 home runs were the most by a Japanese-born player in NPB history. He also brought home a lot of hardware that season. He was the first offensive player since 2004 to win the Triple Crown. Plus was the first player since Masahiro Tanaka to be the unanimous MVP.
He’s also shown that he can come up clutch when the light shines brightest. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he was one of Japan’s most clutch hitters. Sure his overall performance wasn’t the greatest but came through when it mattered the most. In the semi-final game against Mexico, he hit a walk-off two-run double to send Japan to the championship game. Then in the championship game, he got Japan’s offense going by hitting a solo shot in the second. Sure the WBC is different than the MLB playoffs, but it shows that the moment and pressure won’t get to Murakami.
What Does His Path to the Majors Look Like
Although Murakami seems to be next in line after Sasaki, his process to getting to the MLB will be different. This is solely due to his age. Sasaki is currently an international amateur free agent. This means he’s under the age of 25 and hasn’t played six seasons in the NPB. Murakami fills both those requirements as he’ll be 25 and played eight seasons in the NPB when he’s posted. Meaning he’ll have a free-agent process similar to that of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Although it’s unknown what his market will look like about a year out, you can assume it will be a significant financial commitment for the team that signs him. Because of this you’re gonna see a lot of questions be asked about the star. Like where his future position is. Sure his bat is good but his defense isn’t. It’s tough to see him as a Major League third-baseman. Meaning he’ll either move to first or DH. Then there is the issue of potential regression. His stats have taken a step back since the 2022 season. He still puts up respectable numbers, but nowhere near what they were in his MVP season.
These factors could be what prevent him from getting one of the mega contracts we’ve seen other Japanese players get in the past. However, just because he might not get the biggest contract, doesn’t take away from the fact that Murakami has the potential to be a special player.
Thanks for reading! Credit for my feature image to Eric Espada. You can find more MLB content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter/X.
