Is Munetaka Murakami’s MLB Move a Dodgers Dream?

Each of the last two seasons have seen the Dodgers sign a prized Japanese phenom of a prospect, and early signs say, next year a third could be on his way to Los Angeles.

Who is Munetaka Murakami? He’s a Rising Star in Japanese Baseball

Meet, or be reaquainted with Munetaka Murakami, who will soon turn 25, and is one of Japan’s premier power bats in the NPB.

Fans saw Murakami during the 2023 World Baseball Classic as part of the tournament-winning Japanese team that took down the United States 3-2 in the final.

Looking at his numbers from the WBC, you’ll find that Murakami strikes out a lot. He led Japan with 13 strikeouts in 26 at-bats. He hit .231/.364/.462 with 6 runs scored, 1 HR and 6 RBIs.

His big moment in the WBC came when he hit a walk-off two-run double in the semifinal against Mexico, lifting Japan to a 6-5 victory.

Murakami’s Record-Breaking Achievements

In seven seasons with the NPB’s Yakult Swallows, Murakami is hitting .272/.395/.543 with an insane OPS of .938. He has scored 558 runs, hti 241 HRs and driven in 670 RBIs. Though, his 997 strikeouts in 3,295 at-bats is a strikeout in 30.2 percent of at-bats.

For comparison’s sake, Dodgers leftfielder Teoscar Hernandez struck out in nearly 32 percent of his at-bats last season.

The year to look at for Murakami is 2022, when he hit .318/.458/.711 with 114 runs scored, 56 HRs and 134 RBIs. His 56 HRs is a Japanese single-season record, breaking a longstanding record held by Japanese legend Sadaharu Oh.

He would also win the NPB Triple Crown, becoming the first offensive player to do so since Nobuhiko Matsunaka of the Fukouka Dalei Hawks did it in 2004. It also made him the youngest Triple Crown winner at 22 years old.

The accolades didn’t stop there – he was the first player since Masahiro Tanaka in 2013 and first position player since Oh in 1977 to win the NPB MVP award unanimously.

2025 Posting Agreement: What it Means for MLB Teams

Following this impressive season, Murakami signed a three-year extension worth $600 million yen per season, or the American equivalent of $3.85 million. This contract carried the stipulation that the Swallows must post Murakami to Major League Baseball following the 2025 season.

Since Murakami will be 25 years old at the time of his posting, he will be able to sign with an MLB team for any dollar amount he is offered, with 20 percent of that contract going to the Swallows under the posting rules.

Why the Dodgers are Top Contenders for Murakami

Murakami has posted a couple of photos on X in Dodger hats. Not quite the most telling clue that he’s leaning toward signing in Los Angeles, but it’s the closest thing to playing in Japan with the Japanese brethren (Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki) and Japanese sponsorships.

Other teams that we assume would be interested are the Mets, especially since they are reportedly not signing Pete Alonso, the Yankees and Red Sox.

Here’s the photos for you to guess for yourself. Do you think he’s hinting at anything?

Tailgate Talk: Is Munetaka Murakami a lock to sign with the Dodgers in 2026? Tell us why you think he will come to Los Angeles in the comments.