More and more Japanese baseball players are making the jump from the NPB to the MLB. Look no further than in recent years with players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Seiya Suzuki, and Shota Imanaga.
They have proved to be valuable assets overseas, and there are many more who are considering the path these players have taken. One of these players is two-time Central League MVP and the youngest-ever Japanese Triple Crown winner, Munetaka Murakami.
Murakami is most known for his impressive power, but he also has a solid glove to back that up. He can play both first and third base, and will be someone many MLB teams will aggressively pursue if he is made available to them.
Former Japanese Triple Crown winner could help strengthen the Yankees roster next season
Munetaka Murakami would be someone that the New York Yankees would want to target, according to Sports Illustrated's Patrick McAvoy. Between him, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, they would strike fear into opposing pitchers.
"This one is probably the most unknown. It's not even clear if Murakami will be posted this offseason, but if so, he would be a phenomenal pickup. He's just 25 years old and has 262 career homers over in Japan in eight seasons. He can play both first and third base."
MLB's posting period runs from November 1 to December 5. Fans can expect an official announcement on whether he will be headed to the MLB or returning for another season in Japan.