Munetaka Murakami posted by Yakult for MLB teams

Munetaka Murakami, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows slugger, will be posted for Major League Baseball teams this offseason, the Swallows said, making him available to sign with any of the 30 MLB clubs. Murakami, who will be 26 at the start of the 2026 season, is widely expected to draw significant interest from several big-market teams as clubs prepare for the winter free agent period.

Murakami has been a fixture at third base for the Swallows since his debut in 2017 and has also started extensively at first base. He is a left-handed hitter known for elite power production. In 2022 he hit 56 home runs, posted a .710 slugging percentage and won the Central League triple crown. He is a two-time Central League Player of the Year and played a starring role for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. This past season, limited by oblique and elbow injuries, he appeared in 69 games and hit 24 homers with 52 RBIs, putting up a .286/.392/.659 slash line.

Several MLB clubs are expected to be leading suitors, with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners among those most frequently mentioned. Other teams including the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants...