The crack of the bat when a home run is launched into orbit is a sound like no other. No one has heard that sound more in MLB than Yankees star Aaron Judge. Judge has smacked 47 homers over the wall in just 119 games.
There is another baseball star posting similar numbers across the pond, however. Japanese phenom Munetaka Murakami is the latest NPB batter to drum up MLB interest, crushing 44 dingers in 109 games. That’s a pace of 58 homers in a full season. A slight uptick in homers and Murakami can quite easily pass the 60-home run plateau, a mark that has only been hit one other time in NPB history (Wladimir Balentien, 2013).
So who is Munetaka Murakami? And what are his big league prospects? The Sporting News details the rise of Japan’s latest hitting prodigy.
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Who is Munetaka Murakami?
Munetaka Murakami is a 22-year-old third baseman who plays for the Yakult Swallows in Japan’s Central League. Murakami has prodigious power; since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NPB Draft, Murakami has swatted 148 homers in NPB, widely considered the second-best baseball league in the world. For comparison, Shohei Ohtani cleared the fence 48 times over the course of his five-year NPB career.
Blessed with a smooth lefty swing and power to all fields, Murakami is, without a doubt, the best hitter in NPB. He’s currently hitting .327/.457/.723, putting himself in pole position to become the first player to win the NPB triple crown since Randy Bass did it in 1986.
This season isn’t a flash in the pan for Murakami, either. He hit 39 homers with a .974 OPS in 2021.
When you look at the tape, there’s a lot to like about Murakami. He’s a patient hitter, drawing at least 70 walks in all four full seasons he’s played in NPB. He rakes, too; Murakami won the Central League MVP last season after posting a 176 wRC+.
Murakami’s been having a solid season, despite lowered offensive environment in NPB, coming into today’s game, has been hitting 1.013 OPS w 18.5 BB%, as well as a big .300 iso: all good for a 191 wRC+. the pitcher here is Matt Shoemaker, who’s seen better outings so far in NPB https://t.co/InHA7IUh5T
— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) May 7, 2022
All in all, Murakami is one of the best natural hitters to come out of Japan in some time. His performance this June was the stuff of legends: Murakami hit .410/.515/.940 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs in 23 games.
With quick bat speed and soft hands, it looks like Murakami is posed to continue to legacy of great Japanese sluggers like Ohtani, Hideki Matsui and MLB newcomer Seiya Suzuki.
MORE: Five things to know about Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki
When can Munetaka Murakami come to MLB?
For those hoping to see Murakami in an MLB uniform, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. Murakami turned 22 during the season. Under MLB’s international free agency rules, Murakami would limit his market value. So despite posting Ruthian numbers in NPB, Murakami wouldn’t be able to make the money he deserves.
As a result, it’s likely that we won’t see Murakami in MLB anytime soon. Ohtani and Suzuki came to MLB in their age-23 and age-27 seasons, respectively, so it remains to be seen exactly when Murakami can make the trek to North America.
So, much like star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, Murakami likely won’t play in the majors for at least a couple of years.