The anticipation has been building for years around Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami’s move to Major League Baseball. The worst-kept secret became official on Oct. 10, when MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that the Tokyo Yakult Swallows will post Murakami this offseason.
Several MLB teams are expected to pursue him, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants.
Munetaka Murakami is expected to be posted this offseason, bringing one of Japan's best power hitters to the Majors. What could his market look like? https://t.co/i4Fg4gWEmb
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 10, 2025
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is where stars become legends — and for Munetaka Murakami, that moment arrived in 2023.
After a slow start that included an 0-for-4 game with three strikeouts in Japan’s semifinal against Team Mexico, Murakami came through in storybook fashion with a walk-off two-run double to send Japan to the championship.
One night later, he blasted a 432-foot solo home run against Team USA to tie the final early, helping Japan capture its third WBC title.
He finished the tournament batting .231 /.364 /.462 with one home run and six RBIs in seven games, according to Baseball America’s 2023 WBC statistical leaders.
Two swings — one to win, one to announce himself to the world — turned a rough start into a championship legend.
Murakami, 25, is coveted for his elite power — the same swing that produced a record 56 home runs in 2022 for the Swallows and clutch moments on the world stage.
A two-time MVP in Japan and a WBC champion, he’s already shown he can deliver under global pressure, from the WBC to the Tokyo Olympics.
Murakami isn’t a five-tool player — he’s a slugger defined by power and patience.
At 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, the left-handed hitter profiles more like a modern middle-of-the-order bat. He’s likely to shift from third base to first base or designated hitter once he joins MLB, where his defense will matter less than his swing.
The Carp and their band of oblivious fans made their last visit to Jingu for the season, and Tokyo fell 4-2.
The main story however was 2017's 1st round pick Munetaka Murakami's pro-debut.
After a costly throwing error in the 1st, he hit a 2RHR in his 1st pro at bat in the 2nd pic.twitter.com/wJF75ecNpS
— Tokyo Swallows (@tokyoswallows) September 16, 2018
Defensively, he remains a liability at third base. In 2025, Murakami posted a .923 fielding percentage and a 1.20 range factor per game — the lowest among Yakult’s primary third basemen — while committing six errors in 63 appearances. His numbers were steadier at first base, where he’s maintained a .994 fielding percentage over his career, suggesting a safer long-term fit at the corner.
He runs well for his size, with 76 career steals in eight seasons, but his true weapon is his ability to change games with one swing. That power peaked in 2022, when he delivered one of the greatest offensive seasons in NPB history — 134 RBIs, a .318 average, and a 1.168 OPS that led the Central League by a wide margin.
Over the next two seasons (2023–24), he combined for 64 home runs and 170 RBIs in 996 at-bats, batting .250 with an .863 OPS.
In 2025, limited to just 187 at-bats due to injury, he looked closer to his 2022 form — 22 home runs, 47 RBIs, a .273 average, and a 1.043 OPS.
Murakami’s move to MLB comes through Japan’s posting system, the process that allows Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) players to sign with Major League teams before reaching full free agency.
Once an NPB team agrees to post a player, all 30 MLB clubs have 45 days to negotiate a deal. If an agreement is reached, the Japanese club receives a release fee based on the contract’s guaranteed value.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center right, meets Japan’s World Baseball Classic team’s slugger Munetaka Murakami, center left, and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, at the latter’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, March 23, 2023 .(Kimimasa Mayama/Pool Photo via AP)
Murakami follows the same path as veterans Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who each spent eight or more seasons in Japan before moving to MLB.
The rules were updated after Shohei Ohtani’s unique posting in 2017, which limited his initial earnings under the older structure.
For a full explanation of how the system works — including how younger players like Roki Sasaki fall under international bonus-pool rules — see Understanding the NPB Posting System.
Roki Sasaki, Murakami’s Team Japan teammate at the 2023 WBC, joined the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter and is now closing playoff games — another reminder of how Japan’s best talents continue shaping MLB’s global future.
It’s unlikely Murakami will appear in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which opens in March, as he’s expected to finalize his first Major League contract this winter.
Most new MLB deals restrict early-spring international play, meaning Japan will likely defend its WBC crown without one of its most powerful bats.
That hasn’t stopped fans from debating how Team Japan’s next lineup could look. On Reddit’s baseball forum, a thread about a “Dream 2026 Japan Roster” drew hundreds of comments — some noting Murakami’s stock has dipped since 2022, while others pointed out he still led the Central League in home runs before his 2025 injury.
As one fan put it: “He still led the Central League in home runs last year. He’s just been hurt this year.”
With sluggers like Teruaki Sato, Kazuma Okamoto, and Kensuke Kondoh rising, Japan’s depth remains exceptional — but if Murakami’s MLB transition goes as expected, he’ll likely miss 2026 and aim for a WBC return later this decade.
The Yankees seem like an ideal match, with their short porch made for Murakami’s left-handed power and a possible opening at first base if Paul Goldschmidt departs.
Japan’s Munetaka Murakami (55) hits a home run during the second inning a World Baseball Classic game against the U.S., Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The Dodgers also loom large, given their recent streak of Japanese signings — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and now Roki Sasaki — though the positional fit could be tricky unless they move on from Max Muncy.
The Mets could target Murakami if Pete Alonso exits in free agency, and the Mariners could do the same if they part ways with Josh Naylor.
The Red Sox could use him as insurance for Triston Casas’ recovery or to replace Alex Bregman, while the Giants and Phillies could also enter the mix depending on how their offseasons unfold.
Murakami debuted with the Yakult Swallows in 2018 and, across eight NPB seasons, has hit 265 home runs, driven in 722 RBIs, stolen 76 bases, and produced a .273/.394/.550 slash line.
He’s expected to command a deal worth roughly six years and $150 million, potentially surpassing the previous highs for Japanese hitters — Masataka Yoshida’s $90 million and Jung-hoo Lee’s $113 million.
Murakami could end up breaking both those marks and setting a new standard for Japanese position players signing with MLB teams.
It will be a fascinating offseason to see where one of the best Japanese power hitters of all time ends up on MLB soil.
