The 2025-26 offseason has yet one more robust crop of Japanese gamers which might be out there in free company — after having been posted by their respective Nippon Skilled Baseball golf equipment — and are set to play in Main League Baseball subsequent season.
Three important gamers are drawing essentially the most consideration from MLB groups: right-handed beginning pitcher Tatsuya Imai and infielders Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto.
Let’s break down what to anticipate from every in 2026 and which groups might signal them.
Tatsuya Imai, RHP
The 27-year-old tasks as a 3rd starter — suppose an ERA within the mid-3.00s — however there’s nonetheless some threat for him to even hit that projection because the large leagues are nonetheless a step up from Japan’s NPB.
Imai is just not that large, standing 5-foot-11, and although he has above-average management now, that hasn’t at all times been the case. His stroll price was 5.1 BB/9 in 2022, then 4.1 in 2023, 3.6 in 2024 and a pair of.5 in 2025. That makes him sound like a comfortable tosser who will get by on his newfound really feel, however his four-seam fastball sits at 93-97 mph and hits 99. There’s some actual stuff right here, too, as his splitter is an above-average pitch by practically any metric and his slider additionally performs as an above-average pitch.
I worded it that approach as a result of his slider is a novel pitch because it would not “slide,” or, in different phrases, it averages arm-side motion (like a splitter/changeup does) moderately than glove facet motion (like a slider/curveball does). Which may sound unhealthy, however pitching is all about deception, and hitters do not anticipate a slider to maneuver like that, which is a part of the explanation the pitch carried out effectively final season, garnering a forty five% miss price and a .212 xwOBA allowed.
There’s additionally a precedent for this precise arsenal succeeding within the large leagues: Trey Yesavage. Yesavage throws a four-seam fastball, an arm-side-moving slider and a splitter, and although his launch (among the many highest within the league) is completely different than Imai’s (decrease than common, due to his decrease arm slot and below-average top) and Yesavage’s splitter is healthier (among the many greatest within the league), they’re in any other case attacking hitters in an analogous approach.
Given Imai’s capability to enhance his command and make an uncommon method work along with nonetheless being in his 20s for a couple of extra years, groups see that he has the traits essential to make continued changes when getting into a league with a brand new baseball and new opponents. Perhaps he’ll even tweak his pitch combine and places a bit to optimize his arsenal; his fastball places are too center-cut whereas the form of his fastball would work higher on the prime of the strike zone.
Since he would not include a qualifying supply and is among the many youngest free brokers within the class, Imai is engaging to most of MLB, so his contract is predicted to go effectively into 9 figures. I projected an all-in value (together with posting payment to his NPB membership) of $157 million over six years. If something, that may very well be a bit low.
It is laborious to slender down which groups might be fascinated by Imai, particularly as typical lower-spending groups, such because the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins, are anticipated to spend extra in free company than in previous years. That stated, amongst groups set to spend on the greater finish of the market that want beginning pitchers (and perhaps do not wish to quit a draft decide to get one), you have got the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, who’re perennially in on the highest gamers coming from NPB.
Munetaka Murakami, 3B
Murakami is fascinating each as a result of he is a research in extremes and since his potential pool of groups won’t be that large.
He has a number of the greatest left-handed uncooked energy on Earth with exit velocities that may rank from first to twelfth within the large leagues relying on which metric you are utilizing. Mix that with some gaudy dwelling run figures — he broke the NPB single-season dwelling run report with 56 homers as a 22-year-old in 2022 — together with the truth that Murakami remains to be simply 25 (and will not value the signing group a draft decide), and there are some clear positives right here to get groups excited.
However, his homer totals have not surpassed 33 since 2022 attributable to a spiking strikeout price that is underpinned by contact charges which might be as unhealthy as virtually any hitter within the majors, however whereas dealing with lesser pitching in Japan. Murakami additionally tasks to be a primary baseman in MLB however primarily performed third base in Japan, with very restricted expertise at first to date.
Some evaluators suppose his in-zone and off-speed whiff charges might be improved with mechanical/method changes, at the same time as he faces higher pitching within the States, partially due to his age and bat pace. That is speculative, however the upside may very well be large to get 4 full seasons out of a participant in his 20s who’s top-of-the-line dwelling run threats on the planet. So you may see how some are projecting six years at $20 million per yr, but additionally how some groups are so fearful of the draw back that they would not assure greater than $50 million.
An affordable expectation is that Murakami might be a right away dwelling run menace with a stable stroll price however a low common and never a lot in the way in which of baserunning or defensive worth — perhaps Kyle Manzardo/Matt Wallner on the decrease finish, Spencer Torkelson as a medium comp and Brent Rooker because the hopeful consequence. A comp that additionally comes up for Murakami is Joey Gallo, who most followers suppose was at all times a foul participant, however he did publish 4.4 WAR in his age-27 season, and subsequent yr might be Murakami’s age-26 season. Masataka Yoshida, going into his age-29 season, received $90 million from the Boston Crimson Sox earlier than the 2023 season with an analogous defensive profile however far much less uncooked energy.
I projected the all-in value to accumulate Murakami (together with posting payment to his NPB membership) to be just below $94 million. Many business insiders suppose will probably be effectively into 9 figures, however no person appears to know which group can pay that. I hedged a bit as a result of there should be a minimum of two groups keen to go to that value for the bidding to get that prime, although I am uncertain how large that group of groups will actually be.
The Yankees have a historical past of extremely valuing exit velocity and age relating to buying gamers, in order that they’re one of many rumored potential touchdown spots extra due to their anticipated analysis of Murakami, moderately than needing energy within the lineup from a nook place per se. The Chicago Cubs make sense, as Murakami would be a part of an inflow of younger hitters (Matt Shaw, Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara, Jonathon Lengthy), whereas others both simply entered free company (Kyle Tucker) or are set to after subsequent season (Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner). The Giants additionally make some sense, the Houston Astros may very well be a match in the event that they transfer Christian Walker’s contract and the Toronto Blue Jays (if they do not land Tucker) is also a touchdown spot.
Nevertheless, given the doubtless manageable AAV and upside, virtually any group might justify leaping in on Murakami if their evaluations deem it affordable.
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B
Okamoto, 29, led Japan’s NPB in dwelling runs since he entered the league in 2018 with 247, yet another than Murakami. He would not supply the large uncooked energy or youth of Murakami however has a a lot steadier profile that possible attracts a shorter-term contract.
Okamoto has plus uncooked energy and a robust really feel to get to that uncooked energy in video games, with the flexibility to drag and carry high quality stuff. He is a right-handed hitter who will flip 30 in June and is probably going a long-term first baseman, so his upside is considerably restricted. Nevertheless, if he posts above-average on-base percentages and energy numbers like he did in Japan, that is loads to be an above-average on a regular basis participant in MLB.
Whereas his homer totals dropped to 27 in 2024 and 15 in 2025 (when he was restricted by an elbow damage), his batting common spiked to .280 and .327 over the previous two seasons, alongside together with his strikeout price dropping to 16% after which 11%, respectively. Like Imai, Okamoto exhibits a broad base of abilities, adjustability and efficiency that means he’ll be capable of proceed making changes in MLB.
In contrast to Murakami, Okamoto has performed lots of first base already, so there might be much less of a breaking-in interval as he is additionally getting used to large league pitching. I projected Okamoto’s acquisition value to be just below $43 million, together with the posting payment, over three years, however I might not be stunned if a group added one other yr (presumably even two extra) and/or paid the next annual price; I hedged a bit, presumably an excessive amount of, as a result of right-handed first baseman profile.
Okamoto might show to be a cheap various to Pete Alonso (who tasks for low 9 figures) and may level to Yoshida’s $90 million deal as a comp. The Mets, Astros, Yankees, Pirates, Marlins, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks all appear to be in on the primary base/designated hitter market to varied levels — and may very well be in search of a less expensive possibility than signing Alonso, Kyle Schwarber or Murakami, the place Okamoto is the fallback possibility.