The countdown to Munetaka Murakami’s move to Major League Baseball is officially underway. The Japanese star third baseman will enter the posting system on Friday, as this winter’s most anticipated free agents. All 30 MLB teams will be notified that the Tokyo Yakult Swallows have posted Murakami, opening his negotiating window at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday. He will have until 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 22 to reach an agreement with an MLB team. If no deal is finalized by then, he will return to Yakult for the 2026 season.
Murakami, 25, has been viewed as one of Japan’s most promising power hitters for several years. He set the single-season home run record for a Japanese-born player in 2022, hitting 56 homers to surpass the legendary Sadaharu Oh’s record of 55 set in 1964. That same season, he became the youngest player in Nippon Professional Baseball history to win the Triple Crown (leads their league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI) in the same season). Over eight seasons with the Swallows, Murakami hit 246 home runs in 892 games and was named Central League MVP twice while making four All-Star appearances.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, Murakami has primarily played third base, though many evaluators believe his long-term defensive position in MLB may be first base. His strength and left-handed power are considered elite, but teams are also aware of his high strikeout rates, which have been near 30% for three straight seasons. With NPB generally favoring a more contact-oriented offensive style, analysts expect Murakami may need to adjust his swing mechanics to handle major league velocity and spin. His in-zone swing-and-miss tendencies and defensive range raise additional questions for front offices.
Despite these concerns, Murakami’s age and upside make him one of the most intriguing hitters to come out of Japan in recent years. Even while injuries limited him to just 56 games this past season due to an oblique strain, he still hit 22 home runs and posted a .273/.379/.663 slash line with a 1.043 OPS—numbers that reaffirm his status as a middle-of-the-order threat. The Swallows announced months ago that they were open to posting Murakami, and his move to MLB has been expected for over a year.
With the posting window now set, Murakami’s free agency is expected to spark intense competition among big league clubs searching for star-level power in their lineup.
