The Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball League officially posted their 25-year-old superstar corner infielder Munetaka Murakami on Friday morning, making him available to any MLB team in need of his services. He will have 45 days to sign a contract with a club, with the window closing on December 22nd.
Among the teams that have already been connected to Murakami, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies have been at the forefront of all rumors surrounding the Japanese phenom.
Phillies reportedly scouting Munetaka Murakami. In my last NPB Rates & Ranks Report, Murakami was identified as an 8th year NPB player with Elite Production. Published August 28th…a new Rates & Ranks Report #11 drops tonight. Stay ahead of the curve with Bozzy Baseball Blogs!!! https://t.co/zu6M4kZbkh pic.twitter.com/NgnUacVX78
— Chris Bzozowski (@ChrisBzozowski) September 9, 2025
On paper, it makes all the sense in the world. Trade rumors have swirled around Phillies’ third baseman Alec Bohm for a while now, resurfacing once again in recent weeks. Bryce Harper could also end up moving back to the outfield, as Murakami can play at both corners. His NPB resume is impressive, with 265 career home runs with a .945 OPS in eight seasons. He’s won two MVP awards, has accumulated four all-star selections, and is expected to receive a contract upwards of $150 million, with a chance to eclipse the $200 million mark.
Surface numbers with Murakami, per usual, don’t do a fantastic job of telling the entire story.
One constant in recent years throughout MLB has been the increase in pitching velocity, with the average fastball speed climbing each season and currently sitting above the 94 MPH mark. To say that Murakami has struggled against velocity would be a massive understatement.
His overall strikeout rate has sat close to 30% since 2023, and in 2025, he hit an abysmal .095 against fastballs of 93 MPH or higher.
There is a real concern that Munetaka Murakami’s difficulties with in-zone contact and high velocity will lead to volatility and a lengthy adjustment period in MLB.
Still, his youth and raw power give him the upside to grow into a Rafael Devers- or Matt Olson–type superstar. https://t.co/iBRrYCbY3C pic.twitter.com/pPgJZgIy8r
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 19, 2025
Putting it frankly, that is a major concern. With pitchers routinely sitting in the upper 90s and teams churning out relievers with triple-digit fastballs like it’s nothing, he will be forced to make a major adjustment to velocity, and quickly.
That isn’t the only flaw in Murakami’s game, either. His defense is far below average, paling in comparison to fellow Japanese free agent-to-be Kazuma Okamoto, and would be a defensive downgrade at either position for just about any team.
Although some contract predictions have remained around $100 million, likely because of said issues, any contract he will sign is a massive risk for the team that gives him the money.
Being just 25, a short-term deal for Murakami is out of the question, and Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski making a long-term commitment to the slugger would come with far too much uncertainty to defend reasonably. The positional fit is definitely there, and his power would be more than welcome in the middle of the Phillies lineup.
However, paying a premium for a high strikeout rate bat with poor defense, especially with more established options on the market (i.e, Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Tucker, New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger, Boston Red Sox’s Alex Bregman), is not the direction that the Phillies should be taking in a crucial offseason.
AloJapan.com