At the forefront of the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second consecutive World Series title were a trio of Japanese stars.
Shohei Ohtani is going to become the second player in MLB history to win four MVPs, and there’s a strong argument to be made at this point that the two-way superstar is the greatest overall player the sport has ever seen.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is an NL Cy Young Award finalist, and capped off a legendary postseason run that saw him post a 1.45 ERA across 37.1 innings pitched by winning World Series MVP.
Roki Sasaki didn’t deliver the impact initially expected of him during the regular season, with a right shoulder impingement limiting him to just 36.1 innings during his rookie season. However, after some struggles as a starter, he was Los Angeles’ top reliever for much of the playoffs.
So who is the next Japanese superstar that could deliver a history-altering impact in October? Munetaka Murakami—who has been dubbed the “Japanese Babe Ruth—is expected to be posted by the Yakult Swallows this winter. As his nickname would lead you to believe, he could make an immediate impact in the majors.
Murakami was limited to just 56 games this past Nippon Professional Baseball season. He still managed to hit 22 home runs. In fact, the 6-foot-2, 213-pound Murakami—who hits left-handed, but throws right-handed—has clubbed 246 home runs with a .273 batting average, 722 RBI, 678 walks and a .945 OPS in parts of eight seasons in Japan.
It should be noted that the 25-year-old isn’t considered a perfect prospect. He struck out 64 times in 56 games this past year, an alarming amount. He’s a corner infielder, but obviously will be much more valuable to teams who think he can be a full-time third baseman, as opposed to first baseman and/or DH.
With all the potential pros and cons considered, here’s a look at some potential landing spots for Murakami, who can sign a long-term contract because he’s over 25, as opposed to Sasaki last year who could only receive international bonus pool money.
AloJapan.com