Know About Munetaka Murakami: The Japanese Home Run Champ

Murakami Munetaka, born February 2, 2000 in Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Despite not getting a lot of media exposure from appearances in national games, he was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NPB Draft by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Yomiuri Giants and the Rakuten Golden Eagles, as an alternative pick after they lost Kōtarō Kiyomiya to the Nippon Ham Fighters. The Swallows won the lottery and signed him for a contract of 80 million yen and a 7.2 million yen annual salary. He was assigned jersey number 55.

Munetaka Murakami stats

Murakami impressed from his rookie year with the Swallows.

He hit 36 home runs with Yakult in his first full season in 2019, and has had 30-plus home runs in every season since except 2020, when he played in 23 fewer games.

Year G R H HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
2018 6 1 1 1 2 2 5 .083 .214 .333 .548
2019 143 76 118 36 96 74 184 .231 .332 .481 .814
2020 120 70 130 28 86 87 115 .307 .427 .585 1.012
2021 143 82 139 39 112 106 133 .278 .408 .566 .974
2022 141 114 155 56 134 118 128 .318 .458 .711 1.168
TOTAL 553 343 543 160 430 387 565 .281 .405 .583 .988

For as good as Murakami’s stats have been, the improved production has been especially impressive.

What team does Munetaka Murakami play for?

Murakami is presently a third baseman with the NPB’s Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Despite competition from the Yomiuri Giants and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the left-handed bat was selected in the first round of the 2017 draught. On his first at-bat after making his debut in September 2018, Murakami hit a home run.

At the age of 19, Murakami made his debut on NPB Opening Day in 2019 following an active international tour. His statistics have become better every year, reaching a historic 2022.

Munetaka Murakami home run chase

While MLB fans were locked in watching the Aaron Judge home run chase last year, Murakami was chasing history of his own.

The left-handed hitter was in contention to surpass Balentein as the all-time leader in the NPB when he blasted his 55th home run of the year in September.

“It felt perfect,” Murakami said about No. 55, per The Japan Times. “I got it on the sweet spot, so I thought it was going to be a home run.”

Yet it would take Murakami roughly three weeks (48 at-bats) without a home run until he passed Sadahuru Oh, a Japanese-born player who held the previous record with 55 home runs. On the last day of the regular season, Murakami hit No. 56.

Oh is, of course, a legend in NPB circles. His 868 career home runs in Japan set a global record that is highly unlikely to be surpassed. Murakami, of course, will not be in NPB long enough to threaten that record.

Murakami recognised the stress of trying to catch the legend after reaching No. 56.

“I had that feel (of homering) for the first time in a while. It’s been a long time,” he said, per Dynes Press Box. “I’d be lying if I said there was no pressure. I’m stunned myself, I wonder whether the reward came at the very end.”

When can Munetaka Murakami join MLB?

The 23-year-old Murakami signed a three-year agreement in December of last year for 600 million yen ($4.4 million) year.

His MLB career would start in 2026 due to a stipulation in the contract that states he would be released in 2025.

“It would be a huge blow to our club,” Swallows president Tsuyoshi Kinugasa said, per the Kyodo News. “But he is a treasure in the baseball world. I’m sure baseball fans in Japan want to see him play in the majors.”

 

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