Munetaka Murakami: Japan’s Home Run King Set to Conquer MLB

In the world of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), few players have captured the imagination quite like Munetaka Murakami. At just 25 years old, the third baseman for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows has shattered records, earned god-like nicknames, and positioned himself as the next big Japanese star to cross the Pacific to Major League Baseball (MLB). With a contract stipulation mandating his posting to MLB after the 2025 season, Murakami’s farewell campaign in Japan was a poignant reminder of his explosive talent—cut short by injury but still packed with power. As fans bid adieu to “Murakami-sama” (a moniker meaning “god-like” that became Japan’s Word of the Year in 2022), the baseball world eagerly awaits his arrival in the majors, where projections suggest he could thrive as a left-handed slugger akin to Kyle Schwarber.

Born on February 2, 2000, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Murakami’s love for baseball ignited at age five. Growing up in the shadow of Mount Aso, he honed his skills at local clubs before enrolling at Kyushu Gakuin Integrated High School. There, he quickly rose to prominence as the team’s cleanup hitter and regular first baseman. In his freshman year, he helped lead the squad to the 2015 Koshien national tournament, Japan’s premier high school baseball showcase, though they fell in the first round.

Switching to catcher in his sophomore and junior years, Murakami’s bat remained his calling card. Over three seasons, he blasted 52 home runs, earning the nickname “Babe Ruth of Higo”—a nod to the historic region’s legendary slugger aura. Despite no further national tournament appearances, his raw power turned heads during the 2017 NPB Draft. Three teams—the Swallows, Yomiuri Giants, and Rakuten Golden Eagles—selected him in the first round as an alternate pick after top prospect Kōtarō Kiyomiya went to the Nippon Ham Fighters. The Swallows won the lottery, signing the 17-year-old to an ¥80 million signing bonus and ¥7.2 million annual salary.

Murakami’s professional journey began modestly in 2018, mostly in the Eastern League minors. Batting .288 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs across 98 games, he earned league MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. His major league debut on September 16 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp was electric: a first-at-bat home run, making him the seventh high school draftee to achieve the feat.

The 2019 season marked his explosion onto the NPB stage. At 19, he became the youngest Swallows player to start at third base in an opening-day lineup, surpassing a 1958 record. Murakami appeared in all 143 games, slashing .231/.332/.481 with 36 home runs—tying the NPB record for a second-year rookie’s long balls—and 96 RBIs. He notched his first walk-off homer on August 22, the youngest in NPB history, and set a dubious mark with 184 strikeouts, the most ever by a Japanese player in a season. His efforts earned him the Central League Rookie of the Year award and a ¥37 million raise.

The early 2020s solidified Murakami’s status as a cornerstone. In 2020, he rebounded from a slow start to hit .307/.427/.585 with 28 homers. The following year, 2021, was MVP-caliber: leading the Central League with 39 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 106 walks while slashing .278/.408/.566. His two homers in the Japan Series propelled the Swallows to their first title in two decades.

If 2021 was a coronation, 2022 was a coronation with fireworks. Murakami homered in five consecutive plate appearances across two games—a first in NPB history. By season’s end, he tied Sadaharu Oh’s hallowed 55-home-run mark before breaking it with No. 56 on October 3, eclipsing the record for most by a Japanese-born player (trailing only foreign sluggers like Alex Cabrera). At .318/.458/.710 with 56 homers and 134 RBIs, he clinched the NPB Triple Crown—the first offensive player to do so since 2004 and the youngest ever at 22 years old.

Unanimously voted Central League MVP (the first position player since Oh in 1977), Murakami’s god-like run inspired “Murakami-sama” fever. He inked a three-year, ¥600 million-per-year extension through 2025, with a built-in posting clause for MLB pursuit.

Career stats through 2025 (1,003 G): .275 AVG, 265 HR, 722 RBI, .948 OPS

Murakami’s international resume shines brightest at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). After a semifinal struggle against Mexico (0-for-4 with three strikeouts), he redeemed himself with a walk-off two-run double in a 6-5 thriller. In the final against Team USA, his first-pitch solo homer off Merrill Kelly tied the game at 1-1, helping Japan secure a 3-2 victory and their third WBC crown.

A left-handed batter and right-handed thrower, Murakami thrives as a third baseman with elite pull power. His swing generates massive exit velocities, but it comes with high strikeout rates—peaking at 184 in 2019. Scouts praise his plate discipline (career 19.4% walk rate) and speed (76 steals), drawing Babe Ruth and Oh comparisons.

Entering 2025 as his NPB finale, Murakami promised fireworks. Through 56 Central League games, he slashed .273/.379/.663 with 22 home runs and 47 RBIs—an eye-popping 1.043 OPS that hinted at another 50-homer pace. Including 13 farm games, his full-season line was .286/.392/.659 with 24 homers in 69 total appearances. Alas, injuries limited him, underscoring a recurring theme in his career. Still, he ended with 265 career homers, cementing his legacy as one of NPB’s all-time bombers.

Murakami’s seven-year Swallows tenure yielded two MVPs, a Rookie of the Year, a Triple Crown, and a Japan Series ring. He’s the youngest Central League draftee to hit 30 homers in a season (2019) and the first high school pick to reach those marks in Year 2. Off the field, his humility and work ethic have endeared him to fans, while his power has MLB teams salivating—potentially fetching a record posting fee this winter.

As Murakami packs for America, he leaves Japan with a .275 career average, 265 homers, and the knowledge that he’s not just chasing records—he’s rewriting them. In the majors, expect “Murakami-sama” to swing for the fences once more.