Could Rangers End Up Pursuing Munetaka Murakami During Upcoming Offseason?

The Texas Rangers have found themselves in a relatively weird position when it comes to their 2025 season, as they sit at 57-52, which lands them third in the American League West. For a team that clearly had its eyes on competing entering the year, they have struggled to maintain any resemblance of momentum.

The question following this becomes, how do they handle the 2025-2026 MLB offseason? With some premium names hitting the market in a few months, they could look to make a few top-level acquisitions to really help out their ceiling as a franchise entering the next year.

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One of the most intriguing names who is set to be available is NPB infielder Munetaka Murakami, an eight-season veteran of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. At only 25 years old, though, he has plenty of gas in the tank to make a long-term MLB career pan out, and he may end up being a crucial component to a team next year in a new league.

The Rangers have not been tied to him as of yet in any official capacity, but it is intriguing to wonder how he could fit into the current lineup and what he could bring to the table.

What Would Murakami Bring to the Rangers Lineup?

Both the designated hitter and third base spots for Texas have their weaknesses heading into 2026. Where Murakami plays at the MLB level is somewhat of a mystery for now, but his defense has been less than stellar at times, with quite a few errors tied to his name over the years. His value comes as a batter, so putting him at DH may not be the worst-case scenario.

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He predominantly plays third base fielding-wise, but also has experience in the outfield and at first base, so there are options. When stacked up against his batting stats, though, that seems like a minuscule decision to make, as he absolutely tears the cover off the ball.

2023 and 2024 have been tough seasons for him, as he has had quite a few strikeouts, which have lowered his batting average to the .240 to .260 range. However, with 30 home runs in five of his last six seasons, and 56 in one season alone, it is clear where his value lies.

2022 was distinctly his best season, as he slashed .318/.458/.710 with 56 home runs, 134 RBI, 114 runs, 12 stolen bases, 118 walks and 128 strikeouts. This came over the course of 141 games as well, so not even a full MLB season's worth of matchups.

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His power and ability to make quality contact would mix in nicely with the current group of Rangers' hitters, and he could be a long-term piece to build around as the team tries to find its best path forward.

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