"It's official: the NPB star, who's coined the nickname of 'The Japanese Babe Ruth', has officially been posted today, meaning his 45-day negotiating window with MLB teams starts tomorrow, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. BREAKING: Japanese star third baseman Munetaka Murakami will be posted today, officially starting the process of one of the most anticipated free agencies of the winter, sources tell ESPN. Murakami's 45-day negotiating window to come to a deal with an MLB team starts tomorrow.- Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 7, 2025"
"The résumé is outrageous for the 25-year-old: he's a left-handed slugger who once broke the NPB single-season home run record (56) for a Japanese-born player while also bringing home a Triple Crown during the process. However, there's another side to Murakami, as he sports a concerning strikeout trend that have made scouts pause before writing their final grade on their scouting report. His elite raw power and on base percentage ability shines bright, but his strikeout and swing-and-miss issues, paired with his 63.9% contact rate, lower his potential. In 2025 he produced a 36.7% whiff rate and a 28.6% strikeout rate, but the high-end power helps to balance it all out."
Munetaka Murakami was posted on November 7, 2025, beginning a 45-day negotiating window with Major League Baseball teams. The 25-year-old left-handed third baseman has played 11 seasons with the Yakult Swallows. He once set the NPB single-season home run record (56) for a Japanese-born player while capturing a Triple Crown. His profile combines elite raw power and strong on-base skills with concerning strikeout and swing-and-miss tendencies. In 2025 he registered a 63.9% contact rate, a 36.7% whiff rate and a 28.6% strikeout rate. His best NPB season came in 2022, when he slashed .318/.458/.710 with 56 homers and 134 RBI.
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