{"id":19829,"date":"2025-01-17T02:43:17","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T02:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=19829"},"modified":"2025-01-17T02:43:17","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T02:43:17","slug":"breaking-yankees-would-love-to-sign-japanese-superstar-slugger-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=19829","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Yankees ‘Would Love’ to Sign Japanese Superstar Slugger in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The New York Yankees reportedly have their eye on the best left-handed Japanese hitting prospect since Shohei Ohtani.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) hits a home run against the USA in the second inning at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images \/ Rhona Wise-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Despite pursuing the two biggest Japanese superstars to come over to MLB in the past two years (Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason and\u00a0Roki Sasaki this offseason<\/a>), the\u00a0New York Yankees<\/a>\u00a0came up empty-handed for each.<\/p>\n

However, this won’t stop the Yankees from pursuing future Japanese superstars who head to MLB. This is proven by a recent\u00a0episode of The Michael Kay Show<\/a>\u00a0where YES Network\u2019s Michael Kay asserted that New York’s front office already has an interest in Munetaka Murakami, a power-hitting infielder\u00a0who has already announced\u00a0<\/a>that he plans to play in Major League Baseball’s 2026 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, the slugging first baseman Murakami is going to be a free agent at the end of this year. I know the Yankees would love to have him,” Kay said, per a January 15\u00a0article from Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media.<\/a><\/p>\n

“That\u2019s why they don\u2019t want to sign a long-term deal for a first baseman. Are they going to be able to get him, or is he going to end up on the West Coast?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hascup’s article later wrote, “Murakami, who will turn 25 on Feb. 2, has been one of NPB\u2019s top power hitters, with 224 home runs and a .272\/.395\/.543 line in 836 games. He broke Sadaharu Oh\u2019s home run record from 1964 with 56 home runs in 2022, though he\u2019s only combined for 64 home runs the last two seasons. He was a Central League MVP Award winner in 2021-22. At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he hit a walk-off two-run double in the semifinal against Mexico and a home run against Team USA in the final.”<\/p>\n

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