This off-season we have seen two of the biggest Japanese stars make their mark in Major League Baseball—Kodai Senga and Masataka Yoshida. They both are from the Nippon Professional Baseball League from Japan. And they have already created waves in MLB. There is another star from Japan waiting to work his magic in MLB and that’s: Munetaka Murakami.

He is known as the most electrifying slugger in NPB and has set multiple records and won several accolades. And it seems like he is ready to plunge into the future with majors.  The Japanese slugger announced that he will be playing for the final time for NPB in 2025, and then he will be looking to sign with MLB in 2026, as per Yahoo Sports Japan. While the date is still far, the hype is only building around Murakami. Let’s know a little more about him!

Who is Munetaka Murakami? All the details about him

Now while the MLB fans might be unaware a little, Munetaka Murakami is actually a household name in Japan. At just 24 years old, he has cemented himself as one of the brightest talents in baseball. Over the last seven seasons with the Yakult Swallows, he has built himself a reputation of being a power hitter, and his 2024 stats say the same story. 33 home runs, 86 RBIs, and awesome .851 OPS.

Murakami’s career reached historic heights in 2022. He became the youngest player in Japanese baseball history to win the Triple Crown. And why not? That season he gave a stellar performance slashing .318/.458/.711 with 56 home runs and 134 RBIs. He propelled the Swallows to an 80-59 record. Under its belt, he has managed to go four back-to-back seasons surpassing 30 home runs—just proving his power on the plate.

Now, Murakami has also showcased his talents outside of Japan. During Team Japan’s winning 2023 World Baseball Classic, he was there, along with stars like Shohei Ohtani. He posted a .826 OPS in seven games, drove in six runs, and even delivered a walk-off hit in the semifinal game against Mexico. His power, his age, and his ability to shine under pressure make him a standout. Most feel he is only the beginning of something extraordinary!

Why is he termed the next ‘Aaron Judge’? The answer

Did you know that people often refer to Munetaka Murakami as the next Aaron Judge? But is it exaggeration? Not really. They both are players who have power, resilience, and let’s not forget have that same towering heights. Judge had famously smashed the American League single-season home run record with his 62 dingers back in 2022. He surpassed Roger Maris’ record in 1961. And Murakami did something similar in Japan.

So when in 2022, Munetaka Murakami hit 56 home runs in a single season, he broke Sadaharu Oh’s 58 year old record. But the comparisons don’t really stop there. Just like Aaron Judge is the face of the Yankees, Murakami is the heart of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Both are powerhouses who, with their bats, can change their games. Interestingly, Murakami might get to even cross paths with Judge!

Well, it turns out his agent, Casey Close, has a connection with the New York Yankee franchise. He was the one behind getting another star, Masahiro Tanaka, to the Bronx before the 2014 season. The star then pitched for New York till 2020 until his contract finally expired. Will he be the next Aaron Judge? Well, time will tell because in the end, MLB is no simple platform, and even the strongest player is tested on that stage.

Can the Yankees sign him after missing out on two of his predecessors?

The New York Yankees lost Yoshinobu Yamamoto and, well, Shohei Ohtani. This time, they are even out of the Roki Sasaki race, so fans are wondering if Murakami can even join the Yankees. The pressure is definitely on for the New York team. But there is hope, as per several reports; they have set their target on Murakami and even structured their off-season plans surrounding a possible strategy to sign him. But just like Sasaki, even then the competition will be fierce.

Of course, teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers are also known to be in the mix, mostly because LA has a history of signing Japanese players. Right now they also seem to be earning plenty from the Japanese market and have a great base of fans there. So such a player going amiss by them would be strange. Now how much would signing Murakami really entail? Turns out it could go over $200 million, and Swallows will get around $50 million as a posting fee.

Of course, the Swallows won’t be thrilled to let go of their best player, but Murakami has been stern and clear: he wants to try MLB. His words were, “Of course I want to try [the MLB]. I don’t know how old I’ll be, but I’m still young, so the sooner the better.” Well, if the Yankees need him, they need to be setting up a stellar plan.

Whether Murakami is going to don the Dodger blue or the pinstripes, one thing is for sure: he is a generational talent. And the next off-season, just like everyone is talking about Sasaki, everyone will be talking about him.