"There are a handful of players who could find their way from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball. On Tuesday afternoon, it was reported that Tatsuya Imai was posted, meaning he has to sign by Jan. 4. On Saturday, Kazuma Okamoto will be posted, giving him until Jan. 8 to sign. Along with Munetaka Murakami (Dec. 22 deadline), these three players make up notable players who'll come to North America this off-season."
"The Blue Jays have been linked to Tatsuya Imai in recent times, and for good reason. The 27-year-old has spent his entire eight-season NPB career with the Saitama Seibu Lions. Last season was a career-best year for the right-handed pitcher, as he had a 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 163.2 innings pitched, with a 27.8 K% and 7 BB%. It's worth noting that NPB is in the midst of a deadball era."
"No one hits home runs like Munetaka Murakami. He broke the NPB record for the most home runs in a season back in 2022, slashing .318/.458/.710 with 56 homers in 612 plate appearances. Murakami's power numbers declined in 2023 and 2024, hitting just 31 and 33 home runs, respectively. Murakami's 2025 season was injury-filled, but when healthy, the 25-year-old first baseman/third baseman slashed .273/.379/.663 with 22 home runs in just 224 plate appearances for a 210 wRC+."
Several NPB players are entering the posting window with firm MLB signing deadlines in December and January. Tatsuya Imai posted with a Jan. 4 signing deadline and posted dominant 2024 numbers: a 1.92 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 163.2 innings, 27.8 K% and 7 BB%. Imai throws a mid-90s fastball, a slider, and a splitter to lefties and would project as a mid-rotation starter without costing a draft pick. Munetaka Murakami showcased historic 2022 power but saw home run totals dip in 2023–24 and battled injuries in 2025; Murakami is not a clear fit for the Blue Jays.
Read at BlueJaysNation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]