The World Baseball Classic is over, but people are still thinking about the amazing players. The exhilarating performances that every single nation gave were unforgettable and left fans wanting more. Japan ruled over everyone as they proceeded to win the whole tournament as undefeated champions. The WBC brought forward big talents from each country, but especially Japan. In the championship-winning team, a player who was compared to Aaron Judge by many fans and pundits is currently the talk of the town.
The 23-year-old player is currently a part of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball. A highly regarded talent, Munetaka Murakami has a few years left in Japan before he is eligible for MLB. But that doesn’t mean he’s not looking forward to the future. If given a chance, he would love to play for teams on the West Coast, and for the team from the opposite side of the country too – the New York Yankees.
Munetaka Murakami wants to be on the roster of the New York Yankees
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The infielder agreed to a three-year extension on his current deal with the Swallows. That means he will be unavailable to join MLB before 2025. After that, it’s open season. And if one asks Murakami, he’s eyeing the Bronx.
Miguel Rapetti of El Diario reported the young player saying, “It would be ideal to play for a West Coast team, but I’m also interested in the New York Yankees.” Given his talent, the Pinstripes might just be one of the teams lining up to sign him a few years from now!
He is already among one of the highest-paid athletes in Japan. After hitting .318/.458/.711, it’s only natural that teams see the superstar potential of Murakami.
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The reason Murakami is known as the Japanese Aaron Judge
Judge famously broke the AL single-season home run record last season after hitting 62 homers. Roger Maris set the original record in 1961. Murakami also broke a similar record in Japan. Last season, the 23-year-old hit 56 home runs, breaking the single-season record for a Japanese-born player.
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Sadaharu Oh set the previous record in 1964 and is among one of the most talented baseball players in the world. Murakami dethroned someone who holds the all-time leading home run record at a relatively young age! The young player is well on his way to becoming a star player himself.
Where do you see Murakami in the future? Will the Yankees swoop in to land him before the West Coast teams?
