On Wednesday it was announced that Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto will be posted by the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s NPB. Often overshadowed by superstar infielder Munetaka Murakami, who will also be sidelined this offseason, Okamoto brings skills that could separate him from his fellow star in the eyes of some select MLB teams. Among the teams that might be a better fit for Okamoto, the New York Yankees appear to be a top candidate for his services.
In 2025, both stars played shortened seasons due to injury. For Okamoto, it was an elbow injury suffered in a collision at first base. Despite the injury, he hit an impressive .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs in 293 at-bats. While he doesn’t quite have Munetaka’s power potential, Okamoto still led the league in home runs three times, with a high of 41 in 2023.
Kazuma Okamoto could fill a vital role for the Yankees
At 29 years old, Okamoto is slightly older than Murakami (25); Still, this could be the only drawback that cautious Yankees management will consider when evaluating either option. Both players split time between first base and third base; However, Okamoto has won three Gold Gloves, one at first place in 2024 and two at third place in 2022 and 2021. Murakami, on the other hand, is seen as a undersized defender who will likely find a spot at first base.
Defense has been a touchy subject for New York, and one that is unlikely to improve with Murakami joining. Additionally, Okamoto’s right-handed bat would give the Yankees an option against lefties at both positions to offset the struggles Ryan McMahon and Ben Rice are experiencing against lefties with Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario heading to free agency.
And probably the biggest reason why the Yankees would prefer Okamoto is his strikeout rate. In 3,117 career NPB plate appearances, Murakami struck out 977 times, about 31% of his plate appearances. In 3,934 NPB plate appearances, Okamoto only did this 796 times. Murakami has the edge over Okamoto with his astronomical power and on-base numbers, but one of the Yankees’ main weaknesses has been their tendency to swing and miss. This deficit was common during their ALDS defeat.
Should the Yankees manage to sign Okamoto or Murakami, both would likely make a transformative addition that they wouldn’t soon regret. But given that Murakami plays into two of the Yankees’ major flaws, and given that he will certainly be the more expensive of the two, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Yankees opted to pursue Okamoto.
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