Yankees Named Top Suitor for Japanese Superstar

Yankees Named Top Landing Spot for Murakami

While profiling Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) star Munetaka Murakami, who plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand referenced a report from Nikkan Sports that listed the Yankees as one of the clubs who could make a "big push" for his services once he's posted.

"Nikkan Sports reported this week that the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Mariners are among the teams that could make a big push for Murakami, who hit 22 home runs with 47 RBIs and a 1.043 OPS in 56 games during an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, flashing the type of power he showed in his 56-homer season," Feinsand wrote. "Sources say the Dodgers, Giants and Red Sox could also be in the mix, though much of it will depend on how each team views his ability to play first and/or third, or his willingness to be a designated hitter."

Potential Concerns

Murakami's power is a major selling point for interested teams, and the fact that he became the youngest player in NPB history to win the Triple Crown back in 2022 with 56 homers, a .318 batting average and 134 RBIs is another major accomplishment that has boosted his market.

There are, however, some pertinent concerns with Murakami's profile, as he strikes out at a high rate while his walk rate has also declined over recent years.

"If there’s a potential red flag for Major League teams, it’s Murakami’s strikeout rate, which has risen significantly over the past three seasons," Feinsand wrote. "He whiffed in more than 30 percent of his at-bats during his first two seasons, but he lowered that rate between 20.9 and 22.3 percent from 2020-22. The past three seasons, that rate has increased again between 28.1 and 29.5 percent, including 180 strikeouts in 610 plate appearances in 2024.

"Also of concern is Murakami’s walk rate, which has dipped from a career-high 19.3 percent in his monster 2022 season to 14.3 percent this past year. Murakami owns a .394 career on-base percentage, though it has decreased into the .370s in each of the past three seasons after he posted numbers between .408 and .458 from 2020-22."

Murakami's Fit with Yankees

As a left-handed slugger, Murakami's profile couldn't be more well-suited for Yankee Stadium's dimensions due to the short porch in right field. He'll be just 26-years-old once the 2026 regular season begins as well, and he's already proven his prowess as a hitter in the top league outside of MLB with a career OPS of .945 to go alongside 265 home runs in 1,003 NPB games, all of which have come with the Yakult Swallows.

Murakami has primarily played third base (763 games) in Japan while also spending some time at first base (266 games). He's not a strong defender, though, meaning he likely projects as a first baseman or designated hitter long-term.

With Ben Rice being the obvious choice to take over as New York's everyday first baseman next season while Giancarlo Stanton should receive a majority of the designated hitter reps, however, the Yankees' need for Murakami isn't as strong as it is for outfielders now that Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham are set to become free agents.

That doesn't mean New York will pass up on a chance to sign Murakami since he's such a special talent, and it would find a way to make everything work should he express a desire to join the team, but the fit isn't super clean at the moment.

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