Are The Miami Marlins The Perfect Fit For Munetaka Murakami?

While they missed the playoffs, the Miami Marlins had an exciting season with a ton of young talent playing at a high level, giving the fanbase something to be hopeful about in the future. Looking to get back into the playoffs, the Marlins will look to add to their young roster this Winter.

Will The Marlins Land Murakami?

One of the top talents coming over from Japan this year will be Munetaka Murakami. He played 56 games last season, and slashed .273/.379/.663/1.043. He has an incredible amount of power from the left side of the plate, hitting 22 home runs in just 56 games. There is a massive downside to his game: his high strikeout rate limits his ability to make consistent contact.The strikeouts remain a considerable concern, having 64 strikeouts in 224 plate appearances.

The good news is, despite the strikeouts, Murakami still had a .379 on-base percentage, proving how much of a threat he can be in Miami’s lineup. In addition to his impressive offensive output, Murakami could fill a key need for the Marlins at first base, where he is expected to play long term due to limited range at third base.

He would become an everyday player in Miami and, joining a smaller market with low expectations, wouldn’t face immediate pressure to perform. At just 25 years old, he fits well with the Marlins’ young core; it’s simply a matter of agreeing on the contract he will seek.

Concerns With His Game

Identified flaws influence the complexity of his contract in his game. His Whiff Rate and Strikeout Percentage have both increased. In 2022, Murakami had a 31.7 Whiff Rate and a 20.9% Strikeout Percentage. This past season, his Whiff Rate increased to 36.7% and his Strikeout Percentage rose to 28.6%. He missed time in 2025 due to an oblique injury, which shortened his season, and these metrics have shown an upward trend each season.

Given these escalating trends, I’d expect these stats to increase significantly as Major League Baseball faces better pitching and higher velocity. For instance, Murakami hit .197/.374/.415 (129 wRC+) in his NPB career against fastballs over 93 miles per hour. In a league that hammers velocity hard, Murakami is going to have to adjust quickly to high velocity that can get up to 100 miles per hour.

Final Thoughts

With all these factors in mind, it’ll be interesting to see what teams emerge as suitors for the star slugger this offseason, and how much money he’ll get in total. With Murakami being limited in his range at third base, he’ll likely sign with a team that needs a long-term first baseman or has a slot open at designated hitter. He is projected to earn about $20 million per season under an eight-year deal, headlining the Japanese free agents, who include Kazuma Okamoto and Tatsuya Imai.