A few days ago, it was reported that the New York Mets sent their president of baseball operations, David Stearns, to Japan to closely scout young slugger Munetaka Murakami while his team, the Yakult Swallows, faced the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league.
In that same game, Murakami, who could become the next Japanese star in Major League Baseball (MLB), hit a home run to center field that quickly went viral on social media. This likely further captivated the Mets, a team that could secure the player’s services, or so believes one analyst.
The Mets are a great option for Murakami
Although there is interest from all MLB teams, much like what happened with Roki Sasaki during the last offseason, New York Post expert Jon Heyman points out that the Mets are one of the top options for Shohei Ohtani‘s compatriot.
“Number three team [for Murakami], I got the Mets. David Stearns was just seen over there, right? Mets have three third basemen right now. Are any of them the answer? I don’t know,” Heyman said after listing the Mariners and Dodgers. “Baty seems to be very good defensively, which is a little of a surprise… So I’m not gonna rule out the Mets. Stearns did take a trip. Is he wasting his money? I don’t know.”
“I don’t think they’re the favorite, but I could see it,” he added about the Mets’ pursuit of Murakami. “So we’re gonna put the Mets at number three,” he told Bleacher Report.
However, much can change before Murakami‘s signing window arrives. Still, one thing is clear: the Mets will be one of the main players vying for his services.
It’s expected that Murakami will be placed in the posting system by his NPB club during the next MLB offseason, allowing American teams to compete for his signing. With his accomplishments so far, many consider Murakami to be the next big Japanese baseball star to arrive in the United States.
In his NPB career, Murakami has posted a .271 batting average, a .945 OPS, and 229 home runs over eight seasons. Additionally, he has hit at least 30 home runs in five of the last six seasons (in the one season he didn’t reach that mark, he hit 28).
Murakami also stood out in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he hit a home run against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly during the championship game between Japan and the United States.
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