Jul 31, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team Japan infielder Munetaka Murakami (55) rounds the bases against Mexico during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports Yukihito Taguchi
No Japanese-born player has ever made their Major League Debut with the Phillies. In fact, only two — Tadahito Iguchi and So Taguchi — have ever played for the Phillies, and both of them were more than 15 years ago at this point.
Could Munetaka Murakami change that?
The top Japanese player expected to be available this offseason is set to be posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball Team, the Yakult Swallows, Friday. ESPN's Jeff Passan offers some of the details on the posting system below:
BREAKING: Japanese star third baseman Munetaka Murakami will be posted today, officially starting the process of one of the most anticipated free agencies of the winter, sources tell ESPN. Murakami's 45-day negotiating window to come to a deal with an MLB team starts tomorrow.
For the record, this isn't just throwing a dart. Nikkan Sports reported in October that the Phillies, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees are "among the teams that could make a big push for Murakami."
To be clear, Murakami is a polarizing prospect. There is a bit of a boom or bust feel when trying to project him in the majors.
On the bad side, he's a third baseman, but it's unclear if he'll play that spot in the majors or will have to shift to first base/DH. He struck out 64 times in just 56 games this past season, a staggering amount. He also fared poorly against velocity in 2025, which doesn't usually bode well for a transition to the majors.
But the flip side of that is that Murakami has potentially elite power and is still only 25 years old. As alarming as the strikeout rate was in 2025, he also homered 22 times and drove in 47 runs in 56 games. In eight professional seasons in Japan, he has hit 265 home runs with a .945 OPS. He did drive in six runs in 26 at-bats for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, for whatever that is worth.
Munetaka Murakami has officially been posted
From 2022-2025 in the NPB:
.272/.401/.571
142 HR (1st)
306 R (1st)
351 RBI (1st)
182 wRC+ (3rd)
26.4 K%
16.9 BB%
Awesome power hitter with strikeout concerns. Should the Tigers pursue him?
pic.twitter.com/2ULAv6AbwS
Where would Murakami fit with the Phillies? While you can make the case he and Kyle Schwarber could co-exist, that's probably unlikely. First of all, both are left-handed hitters. Secondly, MLB Trade Rumors projects that Murakami will land an eight-year/$180 million deal. From here, that might be a bit ambitious, but the point is he and Schwarber together will probably be more money than the Phillies plan to spend. Those factors — along with questions about his defensive ability at third base — probably make him more likely as a fit for the Phillies if Schwarber leaves, perhaps splitting time between DH and the hot corner, should Alec Bohm be dealt. Obviously, Plan A for the Phillies is to bring Schwarber back, but it's good to have other options if things don't go as planned.
Whether the pivot if Schwarber left in free agency would be to Murakami or someone more proven like Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso remains to be seen. While he's much less accomplished than Bregman or Alonso, he's more than five years younger than both. He would also allow the Phillies to break the glass ceiling of getting a Japanese player to debut with them.
Two years ago, the Phillies tried hard for future World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he ultimately chose to sign a 12-year/$325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Roki Sasaki declined to even meet with the Phillies last winter, despite their interest. The Phillies aren't going to be the favorite for any Japanese player. West Coast teams are closer geographically, and have larger Japanese-American populations in their city than Philadelphia, making assimilation easier. The Dodgers don't seem to be a great fit here with Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani entrenched at first base and DH, respectively. But the Mariners and Los Angeles Angels could jump in. Even the two New York teams and the Boston Red Sox can point to the fact that they've had major Japanese stars thrive on their teams in the past. The Phillies can't say that.
Eventually, though, the Phillies are going to land a Japanese star. Maybe uncertainty about Murakami's glove and ability to consistently make contact are red flags. Or perhaps they are the opening that will allow the Phillies to finally lure a top Japanese prospect into red pinstripes.
Ranking Munetaka Murakami's Top 7 landing spots 👀 @TimKellySports https://t.co/nTC035jv8s pic.twitter.com/wlbshwhQiQ
