Red Sox linked to slugging Japanese first base prospect

The Boston Red Sox "should be interested" in top Japanese prospect Munetaka Murakami, who is planning on making the move to Major League Baseball in 2026, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

Murakami is a 25-year-old, corner infielder/outfielder who has played eight professional seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). During his professional career in Japan, Murakami has blasted 242 home runs, 671 RBIs, and slashed a respectable .273/.395/.544.

Bowden says that Murakami is "known for his prodigious power," which aligns with his high slugging percentage and impressive 30.3 homers per year. In 2022, he set the NPB single-season home run record by a Japanese-born player with 56. But, that was not just a one-off, he has consistently met or surpassed 30 homers in six of the past seven seasons and for the last five years straight.

^{Munetaka Murakami}

For the Red Sox, Murakami could, theoretically, fit into two infield positions. Although his defense at third base is "below average," he has plenty of experience on the hot corner - which could be of use in Boston depending on the future(s) of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers. He also shows promise at first base, which the Red Sox could potentially use considering the uncertain future of Triston Casas.

So, in the upcoming offseason, keep an eye out for how aggressive the Red Sox will be at trying to acquire Murakami. If they do wish to bring him in, however, they will likely have some tough competition with the Yankees, Tigers, Mariners, Rangers and Padres also possibly interested, per Bowden.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.