Explaining why Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Yankees will make Japanese bomber Munetaka Murakami top priority in 2026..

Explaining why Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Yankees will make Japanese bomber Munetaka Murakami top priority in 2026

While he may be an unfamiliar name to baseball fans, Japanese star Munetaka Murakami is likely on the minds of the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees front office.

This has been an eventful offseason for the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox. They entered the offseason intending to make big improvements to their roster and all three have done that on the free agent and trade markets over the last few months.

The Mets made the biggest splash of the offseason by inking superstar outfielder Juan Soto to the largest contract in sports history. The Yankees made a slew of moves for a pair of All-Star pitchers and two former NL MVPs to bolster their defense. While the Red Sox made the best trade this offseason by acquiring young ace Garrett Crochet.

No matter what happens this season, the pair of New York clubs and Boston are sure to be major players in the trade and free-agent markets again later this year. And a player they all likely have at the top of their wishlist is Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. But why could this little-known player end up being the most sought-after talent in 2026 MLB free agency?

New York Mets and Yankees will have Munetaka Murakami at the top of 2026 free agency wishlist

The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees were all linked to pursuits of Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki over the last year. However, none of them brought their talents to the Northeast and instead signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the trio of clubs have a history of successfully luring elite players from the Land of the Rising Sun to their franchises.

That is why they are sure to be in the sweepstakes for Murakami. A player that has an even more impressive resume than his aforementioned countrymen.

Mukamai is only 24 years old but he has already broken records in Japan with his outstanding power. The third baseman’s 56 home runs in 2022 broke the Nippon Professional Baseball league’s single-season record for Japanese-born players. A record that was long held by Japanese baseball icon Sadaharu Oh.

Munetaka Murakami achievement: Two-time Central League MVP, Triple Crown winner

In seven seasons as a pro, he has 241 homers, 670 RBIs, an amazing .945 OPS, and has won the Central League MVP twice. Furthermore, he also has a Triple Crown-winning season on his resume. While he plays third base right now, it is likely he is shifted over to first base in MLB.

The New York Mets are yet to fill their spot at first. The organization could be looking ahead to Murakami being their 1B of the future if Pete Alonso is not re-signed. Goldschmidt is only signed to the New York Yankees for a season. He might also just be a placeholder for the Japanese star. Likewise for Boston Red Sox prospect Tristan Casas if he doesn’t have a breakthrough season in 2025.