Blue Jays 2025 MLB free agent target: Munetaka Murakami

Murakami had some impressive seasons between 2019 and 2021, but his 2022 season was historic. At age 22, the third baseman/first baseman hit .318/.458/.710 with 56 home runs in 612 at-bats, good enough for a 225 wRC+.

He hit another 64 home runs in 2023 and 2024, but his numbers dropped across the board, especially his batting average, while his K% rose dramatically. Murakami was drafted on Friday, giving MLB teams 45 days (December 22) to sign him.

Let’s take a look at his 2025 numbers and whether he’s a good fit for the Blue Jays.

Season statistics 2025

One concern about the 26-year-old’s game is his struggle against pitches of 90 mph or faster. In 2025, Murakami hit just .095 against pitches that fit that category, with disappointing (albeit better) numbers when he expanded the scope to his entire career.

Murakami also swings and misses, as he often does. Last season, the infielder finished with a 28.6 K% and a 36.7 whiff%. It was the fourth straight season that Murakami finished with a strikeout rate above 34%, while he has a career strikeout rate of 25.9%. In that stellar 2022 season, Murakami finished with a 20.9 K%, walking almost as many as he struck out, and finished with a 19.3 BB%.

As for his position, Murakami played 53 games at third base over 420 innings. He made five mistakes. The 26-year-old initially played just 19 innings and hasn’t played more than 100 innings at the position since 2020. Interestingly enough, he also played a game in right field.

That said, the question is whether Murakami is a good fit for the Blue Jays.

Will Murakami fit on the Blue Jays?

Of course there are some problems. The Blue Jays reached Game 7 of the World Series because they had good at bats and put the ball in play. With how much Murakami whiffs and strikes, there is legitimate concern that his game won’t play well in the big leagues. In short, the Jays would have to sacrifice balls for power down the stretch, and there’s no promise he’ll perform the same in 2026 and beyond.

And forget the idea of ​​Murakami filling in as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. George Springer will fill that role next season, and when his contract expires after the 2026 season, Anthony Santander will fill that role.

So besides the fact that Murakami’s game is the complete opposite of the Blue Jays’ hitting philosophy, he doesn’t really fit well into the Blue Jays’ lineup. The power is interesting though.