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Jul 22, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Red Sox’s Next Big Slugger Might Not Be In MLB Yet

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 9:09 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox certainly need some more firepower for the lineup this offseason and there are going to be plenty of options out there, including a few guys who haven’t yet played in Major League Baseball.

There are two guys who are already getting a lot of buzz before playing in a game in Major League Baseball: Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants and Munetaka Murakami of the Yakult Swallows. Both are prolific sluggers, play first base and third base, and are expected to be posted and sign with a big league club this offseason.

The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey held a question-and-answer session with fans and one question that was posed was specifically about Okamoto, but in the process she noted that she would be "surprised" if Boston didn't check in on both Japanese sluggers.

"Okamoto is one of two power-hitting corner infielders, alongside Munetaka Murakami, set to be posted by their respective Nippon Professional Baseball teams this offseason," McCaffrey said. "Outside of the unicorn that is Shohei Ohtani, Japanese hitters in recent years have had a harder time adjusting to the majors than pitchers. Yoshida is a prime example. Yoshida, an on-base machine, isn’t the same type of hitter as the power threats in Okamoto and Murakami, and that’s something to keep in mind, but I’d be surprised if the Red Sox weren’t checking in on both Japanese stars."

Making the case for Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami

If the Red Sox are looking for pure power, Murakami would be the guy in that scenario. He's just 25 years old and has 265 homers since making his professional debut at 18 years old back in 2018. In 2025, he hit 24 homers in just 69 games. Before that, he hadn't played fewer than 140 games since 2020. Overall, he has five seasons in his career in which he played 140 games or more. In those five seasons, Murakami slugged 36 homers, 39 homers, 56 homers, 31 homers, and 33 homers.

Murakami has impressive power and is young, but because of that, he likely will be more expensive.

Okamoto is 29 years old and will turn 30 years old in June. In 2025, he hit 15 homers in 77 games played. He's been a pro since 2015. Since then, he has six seasons under his belt with 140 or more games played. Over that stretch, he hit 33 homers, 31 homers, 39 homers, 30 homers, 41 homers, and 27 homers.

You probably can't go wrong with either. Personally, I believe Murakami would be a better fit. He's younger and has even more impressive pop. Okamoto will turn 30 years old in his rookie year in the majors -- somewhat comparable to when the Red Sox signed Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida is an extremely talented player, but it's been a roller coaster of a stint for him in Boston. Getting someone younger arguably would mix in better with the club's young core overall.

Both can play first base and third base. In a perfect world, the Red Sox re-sign Alex Bregman and then either of these guys could help at first base.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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