Insider calls Mets top fit for next Japanese superstar

Who is Munetaka Murakami?

All indications are that Murakami will get posted by his NPB club this upcoming MLB offseason and, therefore, will become available for American teams to pursue. And given what he has accomplished in his career to this point, many are convinced that Murakami will be the next baseball superstar to hail from Japan.

Murakami has a career .271 average with a .945 OPS and 229 home runs in eight seasons playing in NPB. What's more, he has at least 30 home runs in five of the last six seasons (he hit 28 in the lone year where he didn't reach this mark).

He also made a great account of himself in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, as he hit a home run off of Arizona Diamondbacks hurler Merrill Kelly during the championship game between Team Japan and Team USA.

Jon Heyman Calls Mets A Top Fit For Murakami

While just about every MLB team will be clamoring to sign Murakami (just like they were for Roki Sasaki last offseason), New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman listed the Mets as a top fit for him during an August 13 live stream with Bleacher Report.

"Number three team [for Murakami], I got the Mets. David Stearns was just seen over there, right? Mets have three third basemen right now. Are any of them the answer? I don't know," Heyman said after listing the Mariners and Dodgers. "Baty seems to be very good defensively, which is a little of a surprise... So I'm not gonna rule out the Mets. Stearns did take a trip. Is he wasting his money? I don't know.

"I don't think they're the favorite, but I could see it," he added of the Mets' Murakami pursuit. "So we're gonna put the Mets at number three."

Of course, a lot can change between now and when Murakami's signing period arrives. But it's clear the Mets will be at least one of the players in his signing sweepstakes.