One of the most intriguing free agents this offseason has yet to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
That player is Munetaka Murakami — a legendary slugger from Japan.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Murakami is expected to be posted this winter, and plenty of MLB teams are expected to show strong interest. Primarily a third baseman with experience at first base, Murakami’s calling card is his immense power.
In 2022, he hit 56 home runs — the most ever in a single NPB season by a Japanese-born player — while capturing the Triple Crown at just 22 years old.
Across 892 career games in Japan’s NPB, Murakami has hit 246 home runs.
The 6-foot-2, 213-pound left-handed hitter is widely considered MLB-ready. “He has legit power,” one scout told MLB.com. “It should translate to the Majors.”
Feinsand notes that the San Francisco Giants are among the clubs that could pursue Murakami. With Matt Chapman manning third base and Rafael Devers at DH, the Giants could look to use Murakami at first base.
Signing him would be a statement move for San Francisco — proof they can compete financially with MLB’s biggest spenders. It would also give them a formidable middle of the order alongside Devers, though it might complicate the future for top prospect Bryce Eldridge.
Still, even with potential positional overlap, the Giants need to keep improving. Murakami would make them better — and that alone makes him worth serious consideration.
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