Who will get the NPB star? That’s the big question buzzing all around with both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, currently at a crossroads when it comes to solidifying their first base position. While for the Red Sox, it was ideally Triston Casas who was suffering a tear in a ligament in the knee, which sidelined him, prompting them to look for a solution; the Yankees were looking for an upgrade at first base. Now, both teams may perhaps come face-to-face and battle it out for the $300 million star. Can you guess his name?

Well, we are talking about Munetaka Murakami, who is currently playing his final season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and is aiming to move to Major League Baseball in 2026. A specialist left-handed batter and corner infielder/outfielder who has managed to post 242 home runs and 671 RBIs across his eight seasons. If the Red Sox or Yankees were able to get him, the outcome could be even greater than what they sought for.

MLB analyst Jim Bowden wrote, “Murakami profiles as a .240 to .260 type hitter in MLB with legitimate 30-home run power. Defensively, he’s below average at third base and adequate at first base. He’s also played some left field this season for the first time in his career.” Well, that’s quite impressive for a player like Murakami, who is yet to make it to the majors. Probably the reason for which the Red Sox and Yankees might be interested in case he becomes a free agent.

Despite being below average at third base, Munetaka Murakami has also won the Triple Crown and has the record of posting 56 home runs in 2022, which remains the highest among all the Japanese players in Nippon Professional Baseball. In fact, his overall career slash line of .273/.395/.544 makes him a great bet for the Red Sox, who are trying their best to fill the void at first base. Also, with Triston Casas going down for the season, their third base problem persists, which may prompt them to go for the Japanese star. Murakami is versatile enough to play both positions and with age and a good record on his side, his contract could be as much as $200 or $300 million in that case.

 Meanwhile, everyone knows that the New York Yankees have Paul Goldschmidt at first base only for a year under the contract. Guess what happens when the contract is over? The position will be open the next offseason. But not to forget that they also have Giancarlo Stanton up to 2027, who missed the entire season due to elbow tendinitis in both arms and won’t be activated until May 27. While first base has been a constant issue, they haven’t yet had any solution to third base given that they lost DJ LeMahieu due to a strained left calf, which sidelined him.

This glaring issue prompts the Yankees to battle it out against the Red Sox and get Murakami, who can either play at first base or as a designated hitter once Stanton comes back from the injury.

However, amid this battle, another team is turning out to be a major contender for the Japanese NPB star.

Dodgers make their intentions clear amid battle for a NPB star

While the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees battle it out against each other trying to get an upper hand on the NPB star, Munetaka Murakami, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made it clear to paint Japan blue. Rightfully so! Dodgers’ president, Andrew Friedman, when discussing about their plans to build brand and fandom in Japan, said, “Our hope is that an 8-, 9- or 10-year-old kid who is the next Shohei, Roki or Yamamoto is wearing a Dodgers hat, and thinking, ‘I want to be a Dodger.’”

With the Japanese star expected to come to the MLB, hopes are high considering that the Dodgers feature some of the biggest Japanese stars, be it Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, or Roki Sasaki. And that’s perhaps the reason for Murakami; it might be the perfect landing spot, given the presence of the greatest talents ever seen from Japan.

However, according to Dodgers insider Dough McKain, Munetaka Murakami would prefer to play for the West Coast. “But it’s going to be West Coast teams versus one team on the East Coast. And it’s the Yankees,” McKain said, stressing the idea that the NPB star will prefer signing with the Yankees.

So, which team do you think can get the Japanese star?