From Japan to MLB.
In recent years, Asian baseball, and more specifically Japanese baseball, has sparked the interest of several major league franchises.
In recent years, Asian baseball, and more specifically Japanese baseball, has sparked the interest of several Major League Baseball franchises.
To cite just a few examples, there’s the trio of Japanese players on the current World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers: the phenom Shoei Ohtani and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
Throughout history, a total of 74 Japanese players have played at least one Major League game. Currently, 12 of them remain active on rosters.
During the Major League Baseball offseason, several NBP players aim to make the jump to the big leagues. Among their compatriots, third baseman Munetaka Murakami of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and pitcher Tatsuya Imai of the Seibu Lions stand out.
Munetaka Murakami is a physical marvel, standing 6’3″ (1.90 meters) tall, who combines power and agility. Among his main achievements are being named the MVP of Japan’s Central League twice and a four-time NPB All-Star. Murakami-sama, as he is nicknamed, has 224 home runs, 600 RBIs, and a .270 batting average to date in Asian baseball.
He was also chosen as Rookie of the Year in his debut season in the second-best league in the world. Meanwhile, Tatsuya boasts a 1.92 ERA with a 9.79 strikeout rate per nine innings pitched. He possesses a wide repertoire of pitches, but primarily focuses on a fastball that exceeds 100 mph and a slider that experts consider near perfect.
Written by George Carlos Suárez.
