Yankees Interested in Japanese Superstars?

During the World Baseball Classic, the Japanese players that will be posted in the future were showcased to the Baseball world, some have already played in MLB like Shohei Ohtani, Lars Nootbar and Masataka Yoshida. But we got a glimpse of the future players coming over in the next few years, like star pitchers Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as lefty slugger Munetaka Murakami. The Yankees reportedly have interest, and there are some fits there.

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Posted after 2023)

Yamamoto was one of the premier starting pitchers for Japan during the WBC. Alongside Ohtani and Sasaki, Yamamoto showcased his talents and he’s going to command a big contract when he crosses the Pacific. The Yankees are reportedly among teams interested.

2022 Stats with Orix Buffaloes

26 GS

193 IP

15-5 W/L

1.68 ERA

9.6 K/9

2 BB/9

0.3 HR/9

With Luis Severino and Frankie Montas not under contract for 2024, Yammamoto could be the 3rd pitcher of recent in line to have a $25 Million AAV. Yamamoto would fit nicely in the Yankees rotation, and will likely command a larger deal than Masahiro Tanaka’s 7-year $155 Million deal.

3B/1B Munetaka Murakami (Posted After 2025)

Murakami is a generational talent to put it simply, he set a record of 56 home runs in 2022. He could be arguably the greatest Japanese talent be posted not named Shohei Ohtani. Murakami is going to command a very large deal. Especially because he’ll only be posted at the age of 26. His posting happens to line up with the end of Anthony Rizzo’s contract, it could be something to look out for in a few years.

2022 Stats with Tokyo Yakult Swallows

141 G

612 PA

.318 BA

.458 OBP

.711 SLG

1.168 OPS

56 HR

221 wRC+

Murakami reportedly has interest in playing for the Yankees, as he himself in an interview said “I’m interested in some teams on the west coast, but i’m also very interested in playing for the New York Yankees”. Nobody knows what type of contract Murakami would command besides the fact that it would be a very expensive one. And if the Yankees were able to land Murakami, they would continue the legacy that Japanese players have had on this team in the last few decades.

What a Yankees Projected Lineup/Starting Rotation with Murakami/Yamamoto could look like:

2B Anthony Volpe

RF Aaron Judge

1B Munetaka Murakami

DH Giancarlo Stanton

LF Jasson Dominguez

CF Spencer Jones

3B DJ LeMahieu

C Austin Wells

SS Oswald Peraza

Starting Rotation:

RHP Gerrit Cole

LHP Carlos Rodon

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

LHP Nestor Cortes

RHP Clarke Schmidt